The UK will provide more than £500 million in urgent air defence support for Ukraine, the Defence Secretary has announced at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, linking the package to wider UK commitments in the High North and NATO’s new Arctic security mission.
Speaking this morning at NATO, Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK was increasing its posture in the Arctic while stepping up immediate support to Ukraine’s air defence.
“Yesterday I was in the High North, confirming that the UK is doubling its Marines and its major military exercises there,” Healey said. “This morning, I’m here at NATO, confirming that Britain will play a central part in NATO’s Arctic security mission, Arctic Sentry to strengthen security in the region.”
He added that a further announcement would follow later today on Ukraine. “This afternoon, I’ll be confirming that Britain is providing an extra half a billion pounds in urgent air defence to Ukraine,” he said. Healey described the announcements as part of a wider UK approach to European security through NATO. “This is Britain being a force for good in the world, building a new deal for European security within NATO,” he said.
“I’m proud of the UK’s armed forces. I’m proud of the UK’s leadership. I’m proud of the UK’s commitment to our allies.” Healey closed by stressing solidarity and readiness in what he described as a more dangerous security environment. “We will back you. We will defend you. We will fight with you in this new era of threat and hard power,” he said.
What the £500m package includes
The Ministry of Defence said the UK will urgently provide new air defence missiles and systems worth over £500 million to help protect Ukraine from attacks on energy infrastructure and residential areas.
- £150 million to the NATO Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, described as a mechanism to enable rapid delivery of air defence interceptors, with NATO coordinating purchases from the United States for Ukraine’s defence.
- 1,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs), manufactured in Belfast, intended to support the defence of infrastructure and cities against drone and missile attacks.
- A £390 million deal described by the MoD as building on UK-Ukraine industrial collaboration, including transferring production and support of Rapid Ranger launchers and command and control vehicles to Ukraine.
- Additional deliveries over the coming months of 1,200 air defence missiles and 200,000 rounds of artillery ammunition through the Air Defence Consortium (ADC).
The announcements come as NATO ministers meet in Brussels to discuss defence investment, industrial output and continued support for Ukraine, alongside new Alliance activity focused on the High North.
Great, but some sort of GBAD for Lossiemouth might be a good idea, as in some ways, it is the most exposed UK base.
Not just just Lossiemouth, but all key air and naval bases should have some base level of deployable GBAD/Shorad. At the moment isn’t it just the Army with SkySabre and LMM? Seems like a lack of cross utilisation across all the forces. Several posters have advocated adopting the Aster SAMP/T and more basic systems like the Terrahawk 30mm, Tridon 40mm truck based. We’ll see if the DIP provides anything for this near vacant area for the UK.
Quentin, you are right. The army’s GBAD is of course for the protection of operationally deployed army units and formations and not for the likes of defending Lossiemouth or anywhere else in the UK….and there isn’t much of it. The army has a mere 7 SkySabre systems (compared to the 73 Rapier Fire Units that preceeded them), some of which are in the Falklands and in Estonia. Still, never mind, another 6 are on order (for £118m)!
SkySabre is of course the army version of CAMM, which AFAIK is across all three services.
Correct me if I am wrong, but…
“another 6 are on order”
Are these not launchers, instead of whole systems?
Levi, sadly a ‘system’ is just one launcher, together with the Giraffe radar vehicle, the command and control centre and the missiles themselves.
See the armydotmoddotuk website and search for Sky Sabre.
Thanks Graham. I know this has been brought up before but I’m not sure what the definitive answer is? When you say “system” what does that entire? Is that a radar/system control truck plus 3 (2×4=8) CAMM trucks? Or is that what’s called a standard “battery”?
I while back i saw a 4×4 MANN type truck with a 2×6 =12 CAMM on the back. That’s a pretty useful. Something that could add distributed masse to any battery network. Has the Army got these too?
Also in Janes I think it was Brazil has ordered the CAMM-ER through MBDA Italy. Looks like the exact same truck set up for the 2×4= 8 CAMM. though Kronos radar sysyrm. You wonder why the UK hasn’t done the same thing while waiting on the CAMM-MR if that ever happens and if they don’t go for the Aster SAMP/T? Extra range over CAMM of 20km+ is not to be sneezed at.
Hi Quentin, Daniele and I had a discussion about this very point a while back as none of the press releases stated it.
I have just gone on the MoD website and there is now a page on Sky Sabre under ‘Army’. Sadly a ‘system’ is just one launcher, together with the Giraffe radar vehicle, the command and control centre and the missiles themselves.
See the armydotmoddotuk website and search for Sky Sabre.
I would expect a Battery to comprise 4 or more Sky Sabre systems ie launchers+.
Our current capability of just 6 GBAD launchers to protect: the Falklands MPA base; the Estonia BG; and a future deployed army formartions(s) is about as impressive (not!) as having only 14 x SPGs. The RA must be ‘crying into their beer’.
Still no GBAD at RAF Akrotiri?
Even with Aster 30s you’re looking at dozen(?) installations to cover the U.K.
For shorad for all high-value targets in the U.K. you’re looking at thousands of systems, and thousands of servicemen to operate them, both making the cost prohibitive.
I think the emphasis will be on long-range missile intercepts and air-to-air interception, both manned (Typhoons) and unmanned (drones). This also allows for interception over the sea rather than populated areas.
As in Suicide Drones in an ground to air role? Should be cheaper too, but never instead of, they should be in bulk to accompany a smaller buy of GBAD SAM. Which, is up to the professionals.
No not suicide drones, drones armed with cheap air-to-air rockets and missiles. Cheaper to operate than manned aircraft and deployable in larger numbers.
Hi Spock, If not CAMM-MR then i think a sensible quantity of SAMP/T might be worth while. France, Italy, Denmark have done this. Why nothing in the UK? And other countries have Patriot and Nasams. No need to go bonkers on quantity of launchers but a deployable Aster+CAMM compatible system might be darn useful fof GBAD. Shared pool of missiles with the RN limiting wastage. If the UK had more T45s for prowling around and AAW able T31 assets maybe it wouldn’t be so much of a worry. Heck, even an ER version of Starstreak or LMM might be a start (i am a fan of Rapier) and yes to be deployable to every/any airbase, port and key facilities if when needed. SkySabre is very Army centric at the moment and if this becomes a bigger pool of systems then maybe they could then used elsewhere.
CAMM-MR range is 100km and Aster-30 is 150km.
So either you’re buying dozens upon dozens of systems, or you’re going to have to decide which towns and cities you’re prepared to sacrifice.
Defence assets would have to be a priority and key infrastructure. It doesn’t have to be under every tree but having next to nothing is just a lazy choice and seems irresponsible. Aster/CAMM stocks can be shared. Radar/control systems can be the current SkySabre or iterations of and co-shared with Army. And there’s got to be a whole civilian/military/satellite radar coverage already over the UK/Europe and its approaches, may that be further utilised?
So goodbye to the hospitals, power-plants, schools, residential blocks, etc that are targeted…
Or you have airborne interception, directing fighters/drones to the incoming missiles. That way you can protect more places with fewer assets, and you intercept out over the sea so that you don’t suffer collateral damage from the intercepted missiles remains falling to earth. 🤷🏻♂️
That would be the RAF Regt would it not?
Which I as far as I am aware, has zero AA capability which you would think is rather necessary to protect airfields. It has anti-tank (Javelin and NLAW which I am sure is terribly useful for the RAF), but no AA kit.
Used to be the RAF Regt job, before it was taken away and got the CVRT range. You could quite easily re-role 1 x Troop from each RAF Regt Sqn to operate x 4 Sky Sabre and 1 x Giraffe (30 blokes) and still have 1 x Troop in Jackals (12 Jacks and 45 blokes) and still have an MT and admin Troop. Back filled with RAF Aux then you have a more capable and flexible (and useful) asset. Just need a bit of will, money, planning and 20 more Sky sabres!!!!! 5 RAF Regt Sqns (ignore 11 Sqn, they will still want to think they are Paratroopers) and this could be the quickest way to get an absolute minimum air defence capability for our large static airbases. However any SMEs know different give me a shout….cheers.
Seems so doable even affordabe the way you’ve put it. Even it wasn’t a permanent arrangement to be able to deploy as you’ve suggested would be a useful exercise to practice for as a worse case scenario.
I think so mate and with the numbers a RAF Reg Sqn has you would still have enough people for another flight (Platoon) of people and a heavy weapons section. Cheers.
Wonder if the Defence Sec ever has a quick squizz at all our posts on ukdj before his bedtime? Hear some different voices from his usual cabinet colleagues.
Seems like we should send CAMM to Ukraine. This is a great real world scenario to test it in. Almost every western missile from Aster to Starstreak is not engaged against Russia and the experience is proving invaluable. CAMM seems to be the only missile not in the field.
Has the Terrahawk 30mm platform been sent to Ukraine and if so any feedback from that?
It’s certain to be a U.K. manufactured system going to be donated, which benefits both Ukraine and British weapons manufacturers.
They might be able to recycle/upgrade all the spare DS30mm coming off the retiring T23s to Terrahawks?
Unless these are going onto the T26s? And we won’t even mention the carriers lack of…LOL
Well we know the reason why carriers don’t have 30mm – the RN are too concerned that over eager gunners would end up shredding the antennas, radars, and bridges if the surrounding escort vessels.
This Government cares more about Ukraine defence than UK defence.
While we keep handing over such capabilites, we are pimping the RNs new destroyers out to anyone interested.
Not much of a strategist are you Geoffi 🤦♂️
So it seems. £28 million hole in the defence budget leading to all sorts of delays in critical programmes and capability cutting while the world goes to hell in a handbasket but they can always find money to throw at Ukraine, Mauritius or infinite illegal immigration.
Sorry, Billion even.
Queue the clueless Russian trolls posting gibberish.
“we are pimping the RNs new destroyers out to anyone interested”
What does that mean, exactly? I can only surmise the T45 accompanying the French carrier at the moment?
Defence of Ukraine IS defence of the UK
To be fair the RN people on the T45s probably love being “pimped” out and doing the job they chose to do! No one in the military wants to sit about doing sweet FA, they want to crack on and do the job, for real if need be. Cheers.
Would some for ourselves be too much to ask?
But not a single SAM battery for the UK
Why, we are skint our own Army is a mess, yet always more money for Ukraine, we at some point have help our own forces. Labour love giving money away to any one who not in the UK. I support Ukraine but its costing us too much its ruined our already under funded weak Army. Our Army goes with out so Ukraine can have, we will need kit if things get worse but by then it might be a bit late.
About time Ukraine paid for the help, that will up set some but how long can pay out while ingnoring our own mess?
Reading between the lines, how much of that shopping list was already in the works?
HMG love a re announcement of existing to package up as new.
The least we could do. The freezing Ukrainian population is learning how to build the sort of GBAD we will need to protect electricity generation and distribution and keep life going. The ‘whole population’ defence plan means make sure you have torches, cans of beans, a can opener, bottled water, calor gas heaters, a camping stove, a petrol generator, a jerry can, a bicycle and lots of warm, waterproof clothing, toilet rolls and phone batteries.
Which is good as any Russian aircraft shot down is a bonus for NATO, and if Western kit is being used to destroy Russian platforms and capability, then me personally am not bothered who’s finger is on the trigger. Ukraine is doing a fine (but tough job) of reducing future possible Russian capacity to wage war. However, it would be nice if we also had the same speed urgency of production and delivery of our own increased Air Defences.
What does “an extra half a billion pounds” mean? That money already earmarked for Ukraine is being moved to air defence or does it mean that the Treasury is providing an extra half billion and that’s where it’s going? Or does it come out of the UK Defence budget? Old money, new money, or stolen money? I hope it’s new.
we shouldn’t forget, it was the west that instigated this war, they reneged on the assurances given to russia nato wouldn’t be allowed to spread eastwards, and it’s no coincidence, that in the aftermath of the ‘maiden’ revolution, sponsored by the USA, (obama/biden), the biden’s made $millions from ukrainian oligarchs, an early sign of the rampant corruption within ukraine, and how it spreads to western politician’s
Ted, there was never an assurance given to Moscow by NATO that NATO wouldn’t be allowed to spread eastwards – that is Russian propaganda.
See ‘nsarchive, what Gorbachev heard’
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