The British government is inviting eligible companies to propose large first-person view drones that can meet Ukraine’s unmanned aerial vehicle needs in support of the Drone Capability Coalition.
According to an invitation to tender, the government plans to procure 300 FPV drones worth $2.67 million, split into 15 UAV batches of 20 drones each.
The United Kingdom requires the drone to have the ability to support reconnaissance and combat operations and a payload capacity of at least 5 kg. The drones should also be produced and dispatched for testing within four weeks of contract award.
Selected drones will undergo trials to determine the platforms that meet the required standards for potential large-scale production reaching up to 500 drones per month.
The Drone Capability Coalition, led by Latvia and the U.K., was established in February to ensure Western drone technology is fit to respond to current and emerging military threats in Ukraine and other allied nations, secure a stable supply chain for drone parts, and promote drone manufacturing within coalition countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Poland.
In July, the coalition signed a memorandum of agreement creating the $50.13 million Drone Coalition Common Fund, which would support a plan to provide Ukraine with 1 million FPV drones, Breaking Defense reported.