The United Kingdom government announced that it has finalized a new purchase agreement with Anduril UK, the British subsidiary of the U.S. company, to acquire loitering munitions to equip the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The contract, valued at nearly £30 million, was announced ahead of a meeting between British Defense Secretary John Healey and his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon.
The contract with the U.S.-based company will be funded through the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), an initiative financed by the British government with contributions from 10 nations, which coordinates military aid to Ukraine. In this context, the purchase includes loitering munitions (popularly known as “kamikaze drones”) Altius 600M and Altius 700M, designed for surveillance and precision strikes against ground targets. The exact number of units to be acquired has not yet been confirmed; however, the UK Ministry of Defense stated that these systems are expected to enhance the operational flexibility of Ukrainian military forces, particularly in contested areas such as the Black Sea region.
According to Anduril, the selected drones are versatile unmanned aerial vehicles that can be launched from land, air, or surface platforms to carry out a variety of missions, including counterintelligence, cyberattacks, radio frequency decoys, reconnaissance, communications relay, and cyber warfare.
On one hand, the Altius-600M can employ multiple sensor and warhead options, doubling its flight time and range compared to its competitors. Its weight varies between 9 and 12 kg, depending on the payload. Meanwhile, the Altius-700M is designed as a drone capable of carrying heavier payloads, with the ability to carry warheads of up to 15 kg. The company states that this model has a range of 160 km and a flight endurance of 75 minutes.
In addition to the loitering munitions, the agreement includes launchers and spare parts, which are scheduled for delivery in the coming months. Since the start of the war, the United Kingdom has delivered more than 10,000 drones to Ukraine, which have been crucial in halting Russian advances and striking enemy positions. In January, the UK announced the shipment of an additional 30,000 drones as part of the Drone Capability Coalition, led by the UK and Latvia.
Lastly, since July 2024, the British government has provided more than £5.26 billion in military aid and financial support to Ukraine, including an annual £3 billion military aid package and a £2.26 billion loan for defense expenditures.
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