The U.K. government has opened the bidding for suppliers of the Drone Capability Coalition for Ukraine seeking the rapid supply of thousands of “first person view” unmanned aerial systems to Kyiv. FPV drones allow pilots to see what the drone sees through a camera and goggles.
The coalition, co-led by the United Kingdom and Latvia, announced the suppliers’ competition in February to take advantage of the Western industry’s capability to manufacture drones at scale at an affordable price range. The rest of the drone coalition’s membership includes Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine.
The competition is the first project to be implemented under the $255 million drone package that U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced earlier this year. London expects British drone manufacturers to join the bidding and help boost its national economy.
Companies from member-nations of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group are qualified to bid in the FPV UAS supply competition. The deadline for bid submission is on June 28, with follow-up competitions planned for the rest of 2024.
In January, the U.S.-led UDCG launched new projects that include further building up Ukraine’s drone capabilities, with Germany leading the initiative. In another group effort, the United States will partner with France to boost Kyiv’s artillery force, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.