First UK trade mission to Ukraine boosts defense cooperation

UK defense trade mission to Ukraine leads to major agreements: Contracts for vessel maintenance, specialized artillery support, and a collaborative engineering initiative to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities. The post First UK trade mission to Ukraine boosts defense cooperation appeared first on Euromaidan Press.

Dec 18, 2023 - 20:15

First UK trade mission to Ukraine boosts defense cooperation

The UK Government and its defense industry have conducted their inaugural trade mission to Ukraine, marking a significant step in strengthening UK-Ukraine defense and trade relations. This mission, led by the Department for Business and Trade and Ministry of Defence, occurred on 13-14 December, building on continuous UK support for Ukraine since 2014, the UK government announced on 18 December.

This follows discussions at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London, where potential partnerships were explored. The trade mission in Kyiv, opened by Ukrainian Defence Minister Umerov, saw UK and Ukrainian government officials and industry leaders discussing long-term cooperation opportunities.

Key outcomes of the mission include several agreements:

Babcock secured a three-year contract to support and maintain Ukrainian Navy vessels Cherkas’ and Chernihiv. This aligns with Babcock Ukraine’s recent establishment and office opening in Ukraine.
BAE Systems and AMS Integrated Solutions Ltd agreed to provide artillery systems support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with repairs and maintenance conducted in AMS’ Ukrainian centers.
Thales and Ukrainian Aerodrone signed an MoU, combining Ukrainian and Northern Irish engineering to bolster Ukraine’s Armed Forces capabilities.

These developments highlight Ukraine’s capability to produce high-quality military hardware and its keen interest in Western partnerships to rebuild its defense industrial base.