OFFBEAT

Missiles and radars also included in £752M aid package

Britain has raised its drone commitment to Ukraine to 150,000 this year and will send air defense missiles and radars as part of a £752 million aid package to help the country defend against Russia.

The drones and air defense systems were announced this week at a NATO defense ministers meeting by Defence Secretary, Dan Jarvis MP, who recently took over after John Healey resigned in a dispute over the government's defense spending plans. 

Britain's government had previously said it would deliver at least 120,000 drones in 2026, calling it "the biggest ever drone package" for Ukraine in April.

The revised package will also include more than 350 air defense missiles and radars, including Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) and ground-based radar systems, according to the Ministry of Defence.

LMM, also known as Martlet, is a laser-guided weapon designed to take down slow-moving aerial drones and fast attack boats at a range of over 6 km (4 miles).

It equips the Royal Navy's Wildcat helicopters and has also been deployed as Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD) against drone attacks at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

"This package of drones, air defense missiles, and radars will help to protect innocent Ukrainian people from Putin's barrage of drones and missiles, and it is an honor to welcome President Zelenskyy to this important meeting," Jarvis said in prepared remarks.

Jarvis also confirmed the UK will take command of the Multinational Force for Ukraine Headquarters (MNF-U) next month, when Major General Tom Bateman takes over as commander in the rank of Lieutenant General. Bateman will lead the multinational team coordinating support to Ukraine and helping prepare for the long-term regeneration of its armed forces in the event on a peace deal. 

Some might wonder why Britain is funding Ukraine's defense when its own forces continue to be subject to cutbacks, and much-needed new equipment arrives later than planned. Others know that supporting Ukraine to hold back Russia is vital. 

The government says this particular funding is coming out of the UK's contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan for Ukraine, which will be repaid using profits generated by seized Russian assets. ®