During his visit to Washington this week, the UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey arranged for the UK to finance the supply of fixed-wing Altius loitering munitions for Ukraine’s Armed Forces to deploy in the Black Sea region against Russian forces.
Both the 600M and 700M variants will be delivered in a deal worth almost £30m ($38.7m) with the British entity of the leading US defence contractor, Anduril Industries.
The decision came after the dramatic retreat of the United States from the world stage over the last several weeks, as the new administration, led by President Donald Trump, cut off all manner of military support – from equipment to intelligence – to Ukraine.
This latest round of military aid follows a gathering of world leaders in London last week to formulate what British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, referred to as a “coalition of the willing”, designed to maintain support for Ukraine following America’s impactful change of foreign policy after 80-years of propping up Europe’s security.
In January, it was announced that 30,000 drones will be sent to Ukraine through the international Drone Capability Coalition, co-led by the UK and Latvia.
Altius loitering munition in the Black Sea
Altius is a tube-launched uncrewed air system used from air, sea, and land. The weapon can integrate onto a variety of platforms and vehicles: MRZR, JLTV, UH-60 Black Hawk, AC-130J and Kratos Valkyrie XQ-58.
The smaller 600M variant is designed to carry multiple seeker and warhead options while doubling the loitering time and range of current market offerings. It weighs 27lbs and has an endurance of around four hours.
Meanwhile, the 700M is designed for more advanced and heavier payloads, the system is capable of carrying warheads as heavy as 33lbs . Altogether, the 700M can carry up to 65lbs for an endurance of up to two hours.
These systems, the UK government confirmed, will be deployed in the Black Sea region. According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies there was little indication that the Russian Black Sea Fleet was able to regain the naval initiative.
Instead, the fleet suffered incremental losses including at least one patrol ship and a further amphibious vessel.
At the beginning of 2025, Ukraine’s Strategic Command Centre revealed that its forces had deployed naval First-Person View systems against Russian air defence units south of Kherson – the first time doing so.
While it would be speculation to assert that Ukraine is pursuing an offensive in the region, GlobalData defence analyst James Marques observed:
“Both sides are using artillery, drones and other longer range weapons to target one another’s assets through raw attrition over time.
“Hitting air defences to leave Russian-occupied Ukraine vulnerable to further attacks and their artillery to stop shelling on Kherson city seem like natural priorities from Ukraine’s point of view.”
Healey and Hegseth
After talks with Anduril UK, Healey proceeded to speak to his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense in Washington.
In a press conference, Hegseth found it “encouraging” that the UK and France are taking the reins in European security.
Notably, Hegseth emphasised that the US decision to stop the supply of weapons and intelligence to Ukraine was a “pause pending a true commitment to a path to peace.”
When asked about the political divisions and the differing narratives spurred between the two governments, Hegseth reaffirmed that “[US cabinet members] will get characterised one way or another, oh, your stance is pro Russia or pro…it’s all garbage. The president [Trump] got elected to bring peace in this conflict.”
Healey agreed that Ukraine “are ready to sign the important economic deal with the US. They are ready for a ceasefire,” but went on to touch on a sacred point for Europe:
“They want the guarantees and the security that must follow to ensure that they will not again face Russian invasion and Russian aggression.”
