UK, Ukraine sign defence deal
The UK and Ukraine have signed a new 15-year defence agreement, the UK government announced on 18 March. The agreement includes cooperation in the field of military equipment, training of Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), participation in joint exercises and the sharing of information on potential threats.
Additionally, through its ‘train the trainer’ activities, the UK will look to expand its training support to the country. The UK has trained 2,000 UAF members in the past year in urban operations, medical care, operational planning, logistics and countering IEDs. The UK has also gifted more than £1 million in equipment to Ukraine.
Michael Fallon, UK Defence Secretary, said: ‘The UK will stand firm with the Ukraine as they defend their territorial integrity. This new defence agreement sets out that commitment as we enhance our training of UAF.’
Penny Mordaunt, Minister for armed forces, the UK, said: ‘It was a great honour for me to sign the MOU on defence cooperation with Ukraine, which provides the framework for future cooperation, reiterating our support to them.
‘Meeting the UK armed forces personnel training UAF troops also reiterates the positive contribution Britain’s military makes in the world. We continue to stand side by side with Ukraine through this difficult period.’
More from Defence Notes
-
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.