BAE Systems has signed a licensing agreement with its strategic defence partner to support the local manufacture of the Light Gun artillery capability in Ukraine, the company stated.
The agreement, signed at the Farnborough International Airshow, will provide access to BAE Systems’ technical information and the support needed to manufacture an initial gun for testing. The partnership will back the development of a variant of the L119 Light Gun for use by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The L119 is a BAE Systems-designed 105mm towed artillery system which the company describes as highly capable and proven, valued for its mobility and reliability. The gun has seen widespread service internationally and remains in use with a number of armed forces, with Ukraine among the operators of 105mm light artillery supplied by Western partners since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
According to the company, the licensing arrangement builds on its long-term support to Ukraine and its work with Ukrainian industry to strengthen the country’s sovereign defence capability, reflecting a shared focus on developing resilient industrial capacity that can sustain the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the long term. Localised production has become an increasingly common feature of Western industrial cooperation with Kyiv, as Ukraine seeks to build domestic manufacturing capacity rather than relying solely on equipment transfers from partner nations.
Giles Ambrose, Engineering, Technology and Strategy Director at BAE Systems Weapon Systems UK, was quoted in the press release as saying: “Strong defence capability depends on trusted industrial strategic partnerships. This agreement brings together BAE Systems’ artillery expertise and our strategic defence partner’s knowledge of Ukraine’s operational requirements to support the development of sovereign capability where it’s needed most. Supporting Ukraine is not simply about supplying equipment. It is also about working together to build the industrial resilience, skills and capacity needed to sustain defence capability for the long term.”
