Project Octopus: Ukraine and the United Kingdom to launch production of interceptor drones
Фото: Reuters
Ukraine and the United Kingdom may soon launch a joint production of interceptor drones. The project, called “Octopus”, has a clear goal: to combat the massive drone attacks that Russia launches daily against Ukrainian infrastructure.
This was announced by UK Defense Minister Luke Pollard in a comment to Bloomberg during the Defense Industry Forum in Kyiv.
“Very soon we will be producing about 2,000 drones a month and specifically sending them to Ukraine so they can be used to intercept Russian drones,” Pollard said.
Initially, production is planned to be deployed in the UK. A flexible format is envisaged, which will allow adaptation to the rapidly changing needs of the front.
“The UK is a great leader in research and development and advanced manufacturing, so we can add what our Ukrainian friends lack in this regard. We have to be fast and we have to be first,” the minister added.
In addition to drones, the partners are already planning other projects, including the production of gliders.
“We start with drones for obvious reasons. But overall, Ukraine is an important partner for us in creating the technologies needed to deter Russia and rearm Europe,” Pollard emphasized.
By the way, the Octopus project became the first joint initiative between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, which was officially announced on September 11 during the DSEI defense exhibition in London. It is being implemented within the framework of a new agreement between the two countries on the exchange of advanced defense technologies.
The British government emphasized that interceptor drones cost significantly less than conventional air defense missiles, but at the same time they have already demonstrated high effectiveness in combating Shahed strike drones, with which Russia systematically attacks Ukrainian cities.
As a reminder, the UK is already helping Ukraine carry out strikes on Russian territory at the request of Washington . According to sources, the US is preparing to increase intelligence sharing to support attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
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