Under the ‘Build with Ukraine’ programme, the Ukraine and United Kingdom Ministries of Defence signed an agreement in London on 25 October for Britain to mass-produce “thousands” of Octupus-100 drones, marking the first series production of a Ukrainian drone in a NATO member state. The agreement also marks a shift from previous ad hoc procurement policies and offers Ukraine faster fielding and sustainable resupply.
Designed primarily as an interceptor drone, the Octopus-100 appears to be optimised for the rapid engagement of hostile UAS in contested environments. The Ukraine-UK arrangement addresses the challenge of making large numbers available speedily to a layered air defence system to counter small UAS – a challenge in which speed of fielding often trumps advanced performance.
DA Comment
In addition to the operational advantages, the industrial aspect of the arrangement deserves a little attention. Dispersing production obviates the risk of hostile actions against a manufacturing facility in Ukraine, while the arrangement also deepens existing industrial R&D and supply chain links between the two nations. From a geopolitical perspective, the message this sends regarding escalation in the level of support being overtly offered Ukraine as a NATO member state undertakes production on Ukraine’s behalf should not be underestimated – though whether Moscow will recognise the implicit statement or not remains in doubt, given recent history.
Image courtesy of the Office of the President of Ukraine
