Ukraine and UK sign arms production cooperation agreement

Ukraine aims to produce around 1 million first-person view (FPV) drones this year. (document)

Kyiv:

Ukraine and Britain have signed a framework agreement on cooperation in the fields of defense and weapons production, officials said in Kyiv, as part of a wartime effort to build Ukraine’s domestic arms industry in cooperation with allies.

The document was signed at a military industry conference in Kiev, attended by around 30 British defense companies, to discuss the possibility of establishing joint ventures with Ukrainian arms and defense producers.

“This is the first intergovernmental cooperation agreement,” Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries Alexander Kamyshin told reporters after the signing ceremony.

“Today, British companies are working with Ukrainian companies to explore opportunities to jointly produce more weapons.”

British Trade Policy Secretary Greg Hands said he hoped the deal would bring battlefield gains to Ukraine and benefit its battered economy in the long term.

In the more than two years since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, Ukraine’s military has been outgunned and outmaneuvered on the battlefield by a larger, better-equipped enemy.

Amid growing concerns that military support from Kyiv’s Western partners is wavering, the Ukrainian government is stepping up efforts to produce its own weapons and attract major Western producers to set up repair and production facilities in Ukraine, despite the threat of Russian bombing.

British defense company BAE Systems, one of the first Western manufacturers to set up a local entity in Ukraine, has signed an agreement with the British Ministry of Defense to carry out maintenance, repair and overhaul of light artillery on the ground in Ukraine.

Officials also said they expect more projects in drone production this year. Many of the companies at the conference are drone manufacturers.

Ukraine aims to produce about 1 million first-person view (FPV) drones this year and is increasing production of long-range attack drones to carry out deep strikes inside Russia.

UK Defense Chief Executive Andy Statter said: “We now recognize that we need to strengthen our cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry to enable the Ukrainian defense industry to better respond quickly and support the Ukrainian economy…” Equipment and support.

“Momentum is building and we want to see that momentum continue to build rapidly so that together we become stronger.”

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