- Hundreds of air defence missiles delivered five months early, with production creating UK jobs.
- Follows Ukraine’s largest drone producer investing £200m to build drones in Britain, creating 500 jobs.
- Comes as the UK leads trade delegation to Kyiv to increase military support for Ukraine.
The missiles, manufactured in Belfast are used to defend Ukraine’s airspace and have been delivered five months ahead of schedule under the UK gifting programme. The same weapons, known as Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM), have offered Ukraine protection against threats since Russia launched its illegal invasion in February 2022.
The announcement comes as Belfast based Thales moves to the next phase of work with their Ukrainian partners. The latest phase of a £1.6 billion deal signed earlier in the year will enable those battle winning missiles to be integrated further into Ukraine’s air defence system, in a significant step for Ukraine’s own sovereign capabilities.
The ongoing missile manufacturing work in the UK is directly creating 200 jobs as well as supporting a further 700 existing roles, driving economic growth and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP said
The UK is stepping up our ironclad commitment to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion. This year alone we are spending £4.5 billion on military support for Ukraine, more than ever before.
It was an honour to lead this trade delegation to Kyiv, and to see so many other countries participating in the event. Driving industrial partnerships is essential so that we can learn from their expertise and together build the industrial base we need to defend the UK, deter our adversaries and support Ukraine.
Businesses from NATO countries attended Ukraine’s International Defence Industry Conference, demonstrating a united multinational industrial front with global allies and deepening industrial cooperation and military support in the face of Russia’s continued invasion.
Deeper international collaboration between companies of all sizes is critical to Ukraine’s long-term defence industrial resilience and bolstering its efforts in the war.
The industry forum saw hundreds of attendees come together to showcase the collective support for Ukraine. Trade missions between the UK and Ukraine have already resulted in more than 30 joint ventures and partnerships, leading to jobs, prosperity and reinforced security in both nations.
Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS said
The UK’s defence industry stands united in our efforts to increase production capacity, develop innovative new capabilities, and build a resilient industrial ecosystem that endures against the most trying of circumstances. In what has been the most multinational trade mission to Kyiv of its kind, it has been an honour for industry to lead the UK in engaging both within Ukraine and with our Ukrainian counterparts.
This week has been a stark reminder of the need to increase our industrial support and capacity across Europe. As illegal Russian aggression continues to intensify, European nations must come together and deepen their support. Continued industrial collaboration, both with our government counterparts and international allies, remains the only way we can secure a safe and prosperous future for the people of Ukraine.
The partnership with Ukraine has resulted in major investment by Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturer into the UK, as UKRSpec Systems will invest £200 million in two new facilities in the UK, creating 500 high-skilled jobs and boosting economic growth.
This week’s trade delegation visit follows a groundbreaking new technology sharing agreement, Programme LYRA, that will see UK will manufacture and jointly develop cutting-edge military equipment with Ukrainian industry, supporting hundreds of British jobs and strengthening both UK and Ukraine’s national security.
This agreement recently saw an industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine to jointly develop an advanced new air defence interceptor drone, named Project OCTOPUS. It will lead to the UK mass producing thousands of drones per month to provide Ukraine support in its ongoing fight for freedom.
These interceptor drones are considerably cheaper than regular air defence missiles and are highly effective in countering the waves of one-way attack drones Russia continues to launch at Ukrainian cities.
As part of the historic UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership, UK Defence Exports (UKDE) has created the ‘Working with Ukraine’s Defence Sector’ guide for SMEs. This first-of-its-kind resource provides comprehensive guidance on procurement pathways, coalition and donor mechanisms, partnership models, and contact points.