The British and Latvian governments have launched the solicitation process for first-person view (FPV) unmanned aerial systems under a drone coalition program for Ukraine.
The bidding is part of the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) seeking additional military capabilities to aid Kyiv in defending its territories against Russian forces.
UDCG was established by the UK, Latvia, and Sweden earlier this year to supply “tens of thousands” of FPV drones to Ukraine in the coming months.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the decision to procure the systems was based on their effectiveness in Eastern Europe since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The agency specified that these drones provide situational awareness for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to identify enemy positions and attack armored vehicles and ships with explosives.
More Competitions Upcoming
Potential industry partners can submit their proposals for the effort at the British defense ministry’s sourcing portal until June 28.
Selected companies will receive orders to supply the aerial vehicles to Ukraine. This phase will be followed by larger follow-up orders based on the fleet’s operational feedback on the battlefield.
The UK and Latvia will then conduct additional FPV competitions throughout the year, leveraging data collected from the project’s initial stage.
“This competition aims to produce these drones at scale and at an affordable price point, leveraging the strength of Western industry,” the UK Ministry of Defence said.
Ukrainian Drone Projects
The Latvian government handed over its first tranche of drones for the UDCG initiative in April.
One month earlier, the UK pledged $155.6 million for approximately 10,000 drones that the nation will donate for the program.
In February, Canada announced its contribution of 800 Teledyne FLIR drones for Ukraine. Simultaneously, Ukraine revealed it will open a new military branch for drone warfare.