New UK defense chief promises more air defense and strike weapons for kyiv

LONDON – Air defense and long-range strike weapons are on the UK government’s priority list for supplies to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on Wednesday.

In a statement issued on the sidelines of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein airbase in Germany on September 20, Britain’s new defense chief said the equipment would be delivered to Kiev in the coming months. , although he provided few details.

The announcement that additional air defense capabilities were on the way followed a request 24 hours earlier from his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, urging allies to ‘go deeper’ increase the supply of weapons to counter Russia’s continued aerial bombardment of Ukraine.

The Ramstein meeting brings together ministers and senior officials from nearly 50 countries to coordinate international support for Ukraine.

Britain has already supplied hundreds of air defense weapons to Ukraine, including Starstreak and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.

Deliveries of long-range attack weapons. of the British include Storm Shadow cruise missiles and M270 multiple launch rocket systems.

Shapps, making his first appearance at the Ramstein meeting since taking over as defense secretary from Ben Wallace late last month, said the list of capabilities aimed at Ukraine in the coming months would also include artillery munitions. , training and maintenance and repair.

The British recently completed the delivery of their 300,000th artillery shell to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began.

“Today we have demonstrated the UK’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine and put in place further military support, including promising tens of thousands more artillery shells to allow Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked invasion,” Shapps said.

Support for British military vehicles in service in Ukraine is also of increasing importance.

In July, the UK Ministry of Defense awarded British defense contractor Babcock a contract to support the urgent operational needs of Ukraine’s military vehicle assets as part of London’s support to the country.

The initial 12-month contract is worth around £50 million ($62 million) and will see Babcock support armored vehicles supplied by Britain to the Ukrainian military, including Challenger 2 tanks.

The company recently signed a cooperation agreement with the Ukrainian state defense company Ukroboronprom to study opportunities to implement joint defense projects at the local level.

Late last month, BAE Systems revealed it was doing something similar with the exploration of possible local production of 105mm light weapons.