UK to send more artillery guns and hundreds of drones to Ukraine

UK to send scores of artillery guns and hundreds of drones to Ukraine

Ben Wallace reveals latest British military support for Ukraine, including plans to send 50,000 artillery shells and hundreds more anti-tank weapons in the coming weeks.

The UK will supply scores of artillery guns, hundreds of drones and hundreds more anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in the coming weeks, the Defence Secretary has revealed.

The delivery of the new equipment will significantly step up the UK’s support as the country fights to repel Russia’s brutal and unjustified invasion.

More than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns and 36 L119 105mm artillery guns will soon arrive from the UK, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced in an update to Parliament today. Counter-battery radar systems and more than 50,000 rounds of ammunition for Ukraine’s existing Soviet era artillery will also follow, he added.

This equipment will bolster the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s indiscriminate use of artillery.

The UK will also send more than 1,600 more anti-tank weapons in the coming weeks, along with drones, including hundreds of loitering aerial munitions.

So far 6,900 NLAW, Javelin, Brimstone and other anti-tank weapons, as well as 16,000 artillery rounds, six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak anti-air missile launchers and hundreds of missiles have been sent to Ukraine.

The UK has also supplied maritime Brimstone missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, 120 armoured fighting vehicles and large quantities of non-lethal aid including more than 82,000 helmets, 8,450 sets of body armour and over 5,000 night vision devices.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

"The scale and range of equipment we are providing demonstrates the strength of our resolve. Together with our international partners, we will ensure Ukraine has the tools to defend their country from Putin’s illegal invasion."

The uplift comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in June that the UK would provide another £1 billion of military support to Ukraine.

The funding, which brings UK military support and broader regional activity since the outbreak of war to £2.3bn, will herald a new phase in the international community’s support, enabling Ukraine to go beyond their valiant defence against the illegal Russian invasion and mount offensive operations.

The next phase of military support, paid for with this additional funding, will include even more sophisticated air defence systems, uncrewed aerial vehicles and innovative new electronic warfare equipment.

It comes after the UK launched a major training operation for Ukrainian forces, with the potential to train up to 10,000 soldiers.

The Defence Secretary recently visited some of the first Ukrainian soldiers taking part in the programme, which is taking place at sites across the North West, South West and South East of the UK.

Source:
www.gov.uk

United Kingdom sends AS90 Howitzers and 45,000 shells to Ukraine

UK will send 20 AS90 SPHs and 45,000 shells to Ukraine for what senior generals expect will become the largest artillery campaign since the Second World War.

 

Accoridng to the British EXPRESS media source, that 45,000 British-made high explosive shells will be sent along with the AS90 self-propelled Howitzers to Poland this week, where Ukrainian forces will be taught to use and maintain them before they are deployed to the front.

PM Boris Johnson announced that the UK would be sending artillery last week, following an appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for more firepower to counter Russia’s new offensive in the eastern Donbas region.

“This will become an artillery conflict, they need support with more artillery, that is what we will be giving them," he said.

“There are many other friends in Europe, but I’m talking about volumes of help and I’m grateful for it.”

Ukraine is also receiving 90 towed Howitzers from the US and 188,000 shells - enough for three weeks of intensive operations - as part of a wide-ranging £620m defence package which includes target acquisition drones.

France is sending 40 self-propelled Caesar artillery guns.

The UK Amry Future plans

The UK Ministry of Defence has released its defence command paper confirming previously rumoured reports that troop numbers, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and main battle tanks would be cut. 

Here's a quick look at the public information on the Integrated review, mainly the AFV side.

• The review confirms a reduction in the size of the British Army from a Full-time Trade Trained strength of 76,000 down to 72,500 by 2025. The army will also be restructured around Brigade Combat Teams.

• The British Army will also develop a new ‘Ranger Regiment’ which will form part of an ‘Army Special Operations Brigade’. The Ranger Regiment will seed its personnel from current Specialised Infantry Battalions; 1 SCOTS, 2 PWRR, 2 LANCS and 4 RIFLES.

• The British government has confirmed a order of 148-150 CR2s to be converted to Challenger 3 spec at a approximate cost of £1.3bn, the remaining CR2 will be retired. Challenger 3 (CR3) RBSL claim it will be the most advanced and deadliest MBT in NATO's arsenal.

• The Warrior 2 or the Lockheed Martin Warrior CSP upgrade, sadly did not survive the review and will have its entire fleet eventually replaced by the RBSL Boxer fleet (time line not listed) to that end a large cash injection will be made to speed up the Boxer time line.

• Also to this end the Boxer project will have its capabilities greatly increased to include a suspected IFV version and a direct fire support version alongside the wide variety of module options.

• The Ajax programming is expected to be completed at long last after lengthy issues.

• The UK Army is also set to invest in new longer-range artillery capabilities with £250m over the next decade to be invested into the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). The Army will also spend £800m over 10 years on a new ‘Mobile Fires Platform’.

• The UK MOD will also make a short-term investment in sustaining the Exactor missile system, with a view towards a long-term upgrade in future.

• On an aviation front, the Royal Air Force is set to retire its Tranche 1 Eurofighter Typhoons and its Hawk T1s by 2025. The C130 Hercules fleet will be retired by 2023, and its capability filled by the A400M.

• Over £2bn is set to be invested in the Tempest Future Combat Air System (FCAS) over the next four years. The E03D Sentry will be retired in 2021 as the Royal Air Force moves to a fleet of three E-7A Wedgetails.

• The only other equipment confirmation worth mentioning was that the MOD will increase its number of F35's to 48 and the Royal Navy will receive a number of the new Type 32 and Type 26 frigates as well as a large investment to modernize the UK's nuclear defence.

• Two Littoral Response Groups will be formed, with the first to de deployed to the Euro-Atlantic in 2021 and the second deployed to the Indo-Pacific in 2023.

• The Royal Navy will also commence the concept and assessment phase for a new ‘Type 83 Destroyer’ which will replace the Type 45 in the late 2030s.

Royal Navy and Air Forces will, receive new survival suits and survival kits

The agreement with Survivtec will ensure RAF and Royal Navy personnel are well-equipped if they are ever in danger.

Pilots and sailors will have vital survival equipment under a new £25-million contract that will also support 50 UK jobs.

Birkenhead-based Survitec Group will provide the Royal Air Force with life-saving kit under a five-year contract. Work will predominantly take place at the company’s Birkenhead and Gosport sites, as well as further work taking place in Aberdeen and Dunmurry.

The contract will see the RAF being supplied with immersion protection garments such as life rafts and life preservers, and high-G kit such as anti-gravity trousers. Anti-G clothing will ensure pilots can cope with the high levels of acceleration they experience when flying agile fast jets, such as F-35, Typhoon and Hawk aircraft.

Kit for the Royal Navy will include multi-person life rafts and associated spares provision, as well as a rapid turnaround life raft servicing programme which facilitates the removal and return of life rafts to the vessel within 15 days.

The contract will also ensure RAF and Navy personnel will be able to order on demand a wide range of sailor and aircrew personal protection and survival equipment as and when they need it.

Director Air Support at DE&S, Richard Murray, said: “This new, improved contract with Survitec will ensure that high-quality, life-saving equipment is available when it is most needed.

The specialist anti-G trousers are designed to prevent gravity-induced loss of consciousness. Inflatable bladders are fitted inside the anti-G clothing and when pressurised, press firmly on the stomach and legs to restrict the draining of blood away from the brain during periods of high acceleration.

Via DE&S