The United Kingdom encourages its industries to look for innovative solutions that will help Ukraine counter russian aggression. The Ministry of Defense has announced the start of a £25 million ($31,6 mln roughly) campaign in four categories: artillery, coastal defense, military logistics and resupply, and unmanned aerial systems.
"This £25m plus fund is designed to capture ongoing work and support innovative ideas to meet Ukrainian defense requirements," said Jeremy Quin, the Defense Procurement Minister of the UK.
Read more: Which Weapons is the UK Sending to Ukraine (Video)
Let's have a closer look at the requirements set by the British government:
- Artillery – procurement and manufacturing proposals to support the resupply of ammunition and the maintenance of Soviet calibre 152mm and 122mm weapon systems.
- Coastal defense – supporting the deterrence of hostile naval forces, persistent surveillance, and delivery of attacks at range, including from autonomous or remotely-controlled vehicles.
- Military logistics and resupply – maintenance and development of infrastructure for supply lines by sea and land, including waterways, overbridging and general Ukrainian engineering capability.
- Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – the provision of UAS capabilities across a broad spectrum of capabilities, from lethal effects to surveillance, electronic warfare and heavy lift.
UK defense ministry believes the innovations will help the Ukrainian Armed Forces directly on the frontlines, since "we have already seen innovative ideas quickly reaching Theatre". Innovative devices have already showed their effectiveness – such as heavy lift Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) used for the transportation of supplies or anti-tank loitering munitions. Another example is how the "Brimstone" attack missile was adapted for use as a ground-launched weapon.
An important thing to note about the initiative is its rapidness: the required equipment must be designed and delivered "across the coming months". Industry organizations – from big ones to small and medium-sized enterprises – will need to submit their proposals by June 10th. The initial focus is on equipment that can be sourced and supplied in the next four months, in other words, by the end of September.
As Defense Express earlier reported, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in an interview called out to provide MLRS and other advanced weapons to Ukraine amid russian large-scale invasion. According to him, the multiple rocket launchers will enable Ukraine to defend itself against russian artillery. Also, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had previously said the UK, France and Germany are looking for ways to continue providing weaponry and support to Ukraine in the long term. She said, the allies are interested in upgrading Ukrainian defenses to NATO standards.
Read more: Day 96th of War Between Ukraine and Russian Federation (Live Updates)
