Through the International Drone Capability Coalition, led by the UK and Latvia, 30,000 uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are bound for Ukraine.
John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, announced the decision alongside his Latvian counterpart, Andris Sprūds, at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group held at Ramstein Air Base on 9 January 2025.
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Delivery of these 30,000 UAS follows the UK’s £7.5m ($9.18m) investment in the Coalition’s Common Fund, set out in November 2024, and brings the UK’s total investment in the fund to £15m to date. In total, the partners have collectively raised around £73m.
Other members of the Coalition include Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and Sweden.
Specifically, these drone units are First-Person View (FPV) drones. The systems will allow Ukraine’s Armed Forces to manoeuvre Russian air defences to target enemy positions and armoured vehicles on the ground.
According to a GlobalData analyst briefing on Ukraine’s own drone production, the war-torn nation demonstrated a remarkable capacity to manufacture FPV drones, which are guided by a user wearing a virtual reality headset. Such munitions are used to devastating effect in frontline combat, often compensating for Ukraine’s shortfall in conventional artillery ammunition.
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By GlobalDataGiven the asymmetric advantage of these systems, Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during the Ramstein Group session, said he plans to set a record in 2025 for both the quantity and quality of drones his country manufactures and receives from partner nations.
“Ukrainians have the most experience in Europe with using drones, and we also have the biggest capacity in Europe to produce drones. So, first, please invest more in this Ukrainian strength, because after the war it will also be your strength. Second, invest in the talented people in your countries who can help make all of us stronger in the drone field,” the President noted.
The Coalition will certainly help to consolidate Ukraine’s production, and this will allow the partners to cultivate their own drone supply chains at home.
Already, the British government issued two invitations to tender – that is, a formal request for suppliers to submit a bid for the supply of UAS – under the auspices of the Coalition in late September 2024. This was the first phase of British procurement activity for two types of drone: a Large FPV system and an Operational Drone Interceptor.
Looking ahead, Latvia’s government, a co-leader of the group, agreed to arrange a international drone summit at its capital city Riga in May this year. The gathering will be have a cooperative format to “facilitate a more active exchange of information on scientific research and innovation in the field of UAVs,” providing opportunities for countries to organise future joint projects.
