PRESS RELEASE : UK to speed up military kit deliveries to support Ukraine’s fight [September 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 26 September 2024.
The Government is set to surpass its commitment to deliver 12 AS90 artillery guns within 100 days of taking office, with 16 units now on course to be delivered.
The UK will send more vital artillery guns to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s illegal invasion after the UK recommits to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine until 2030/31 and for as long as it takes.
The announcement comes as the UK speeds up the delivery of vital military support, with the new government set to surpass its pledge of delivering 12 AS90 artillery guns within 100 days of taking office.
A total of 16 units are now on course to be delivered, with 10 already delivered and six more to follow in the coming weeks. Artillery has played a vital role in providing cover for Ukrainian troops and destroying key Russian targets.
The government have also announced a new joint MOD and FCDO Ukraine unit – led by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey –which will integrate expertise and help drive a new whole-of-government approach to Ukraine.
Alongside this, defence is creating a new direct cyber pathway to help boost the UK’s cyber resilience, with different tailored selection and basic training requirements.
This scheme would create direct entry paths into cyber careers in Defence and provide routes for lateral entry for specialists who are mid-way through their cyber careers, expanding Defence’s appeal, increasing workforce diversity, and in turn complementing other trades in the services, rather than acting in competition.
The Government has also announced that more than 100 outdated policies have been scrapped or updated since July. These include measures blocking recruitment within the Armed Forces of some sufferers of hay fever, eczema and acne, and some injuries that have fully healed, with work ongoing at pace to modernise recruitment.
