Anduril just keeps ‘em coming.
The UK government awarded the British branch of the defense tech company a £30M ($38.6M) contract to provide loitering munitions to Ukraine, the company announced today. The Altius 600M and 700M drones will counter Russian aggression in the Black Sea, according to a UK government statement, and the deal was backed by the International Fund for Ukraine.
The announcement preceded UK Defence Secretary John Healey’s meeting with US SecDef Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. While in the US, Healey also visited Anduril’s facilities.
Transatlantic: The Anduril deal comes a week after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his country would increase defense spending to 2.5% of its budget. European leaders have been scrambling to shore up continental defense since President Donald Trump appeared to turn on Ukraine and America’s allies across the Atlantic.
“We are determined to achieve a secure, lasting peace in Ukraine, which means putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position to prevent any return to Russian aggression,” Healey said in a statement.
- The UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) now stands at £1.3B, with the UK pledging £500M ($644M)
- Since July, the UK has provided £5.26B ($6.77B) in military aid and financial support to Ukraine, making it one of Kyiv’s top funders
- The UK has led the European response to Trump’s turn on Ukraine last week, with Starmer teasing European peacekeeping boots on the ground
In the field: The UK government said that Ukraine’s armed forces would take control of the drones and their launchers in the coming months.