Representatives of the defence industry and the UK government have signed an agreement on the maintenance of mine countermeasures vessels, artillery repair and the production of drones for Ukraine, according to the website of the British government.
Led by the UK Department for Business and Trade and Ministry of Defence, the joint trade mission took place on 13-14 December.
Meetings in Kyiv followed discussions at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London in September regarding potential partnerships between UK and Ukraine defence and security companies.
Opened by Ukrainian Defence Minster Umerov, the trade mission brought together UK and Ukrainian government officials with key stakeholders from UK and Ukrainian industry to discuss opportunities for long-term cooperation.
Following meetings between the UK defence companies and the Ukrainian Government, agreements have been signed, including:
Babcock being awarded a three-year contract by the Ukraine Ministry of Defence to support and maintain two mine countermeasures vessels ‘Cherkasy’ and ‘Chernihiv’ for the Navy of Ukraine, following their transfer from the UK Royal Navy. This follows the establishment of Babcock Ukraine, with the opening of an office in-country where a dedicated team will focus on supporting Ukraine and industry partners.
BAE Systems and AMS Integrated Solutions Ltd signed an agreement that will enable them to offer specialised artillery systems support directly to Ukrainian Armed Forces in Ukraine. Under the agreement, artillery systems donated by the UK Government could be repaired and maintained in AMS’ existing maintenance centres in Ukraine, where it employs Ukrainian engineers.
Thales signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Systems business, Aerodrone, which will bring together the best of Ukrainian and Northern Irish engineering to deliver new capability for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
"Ukraine has the facilities, pedigree, people, and skills to produce high quality military hardware, and has a clear interest in establishing partnerships with Western defence companies to rebuild its defence industrial base and help Ukraine win the war," the UK Government said.
Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Ukraine amounted to £1.5 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2023.