在伦敦授予价值7.52亿英镑（约10亿美元）的装备协议后，乌克兰今年将从英国供应商处获得创纪录的12万架无人机。三家公司——Malloy Aeronautics、Tekever和Windracers——将通过该方案向基辅提供无人机。该方案是在柏林举行的50国乌克兰国防联络小组会议前夕宣布的。
英国国防部指出，该订单是“英国供应的同类订单中规模最大的”，包括“远程打击、情报监视侦察和物流无人机”，以及未具体说明的“海上能力”。国防部补充称：“这项投资的大部分将用于总部设在英国的公司。”
英国国防大臣约翰·希利表示：“这些经过战场验证的无人机将大幅提升，使乌克兰武装部队具备保护其人民并反击侵略所需的能力。”国防部表示，这些新无人机本月已经开始交付。此外，英国还向基辅提供了“数十万发炮弹和数千枚防空导弹”。
据英国国防部称，俄方在3月份向乌克兰发射了约6500架单向攻击无人机。此前，BAE系统公司的子公司Malloy已向乌克兰提供了T-150四旋翼通用无人机，而乌方人员在Tekever的AR3机型上已积累了超过5万小时的操作经验。该公司目前正在生产增强型AR3 Evo型号，汲取了冲突中的广泛教训。Windracers首席执行官西蒙·穆德拉克表示，其自主研发的Ultra平台自2023年起已在乌克兰投入使用，为武装部队提供了弹性、军民两用的重型远程空中支援。
Ukraine will receive a record 120,000 uncrewed air vehicles (UAVs) from UK suppliers this year, following the award by London of an equipment deal worth £752 million ($1 billion).
Three companies – Malloy Aeronautics, Tekever and Windracers – will provide drones to Kyiv via the package, which was announced ahead of a 15 April meeting of the 50-nation Ukraine Defence Contact Group in the German capital Berlin.
Noting that the order is “the largest of its kind ever supplied by the UK”, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) says it includes “long-range strike, intelligence and reconnaissance, [and] logistics drones”, along with unspecified “maritime capabilities”.
“The majority of this investment will be spent with UK-based companies,” it adds.
“This big boost of battle-proven drones will give Ukrainian forces the capability they need to defend their people and fight back against Russian aggression,” says defence secretary John Healey.
“Deliveries of these new drones to Ukraine have already started this month,” the MoD states. Additional equipment for Kyiv is being provided by the UK in the form of “hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds and thousands of air defence missiles”, it adds.
“Approximately 6,500 one-way attack drones were launched by Russia against Ukraine in March,” the MoD says.
BAE Systems subsidiary Malloy has previously supplied Ukraine with T-150 quadcopter utility drones, while Kyiv’s personnel have already racked up over 50,000h of operational use with Tekever’s AR3 vehicle, used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The company is now producing its enhanced AR3 Evo model, with the new model drawing on extensive lessons learned during the conflict.
Windracers chief executive Simon Muderack describes the company’s autonomous Ultra – used operationally in Ukraine since 2023 – as providing its armed forces with “a resilient, dual-use heavy-lift platform offering long-range operational air support”.
The twin-engined Ultra can carry a maximum payload above 150kg (330lb), and has a range of over 1,080nm (2,000km).
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