British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Kyiv on January 16, 2025, where he pledged to provide 150 artillery barrels to the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of military assistance. It was stated that the first of them should be delivered "in the next few weeks".
A report from the UK Ministry of Defense's procurement agency states that a £61 million ($76 million) contract has been awarded to BAE Systems and Sheffield Forgemasters to produce these barrels at facilities in Yorkshire.
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Even if the announcement was made public on January 22, 2025, and the contract was signed much earlier, the UK still needs to produce these 150 artillery barrels first. That is, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not receive such assistance soon.
In addition, it should be noted that the first mention of the UK's intentions to resume production of artillery barrels was made in the summer of 2024.
It turns out that six months were spent preparing to resume the production of barrels for British-style artillery, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine urgently need them at the frontline.
In addition, the question arises about how long it will take the British defense industry to produce 150 artillery barrels.
This is especially relevant given reports that the United States has reached its production limit of 30 barrels per month for 155-mm howitzers, which matches the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On the other hand, regardless of when the British defense industry will be able to produce 150 artillery barrels for the Ukrainian army, it will still be a significant contribution to Ukraine's support from the UK. This will increase the survivability of the AS-90 and L119 howitzers, which are actively used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Earlier Defense Express reported that the U.S. is developing advanced missile-bomb for Ukraine with maritime strike capability.
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