Ukraine and Norway have identified key areas of defence cooperation ahead of the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in the “Ramstein” format. The main priorities include the development of air defence capabilities, the use of unmanned systems, and the implementation of defence-related innovations. Recently, Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov and Norway’s Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik discussed the main directions of near-term cooperation during a telephone conversation.
During the discussion, the parties focused on strengthening air defence capabilities, advancing the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative, supporting the Czech-led ammunition procurement effort, and promoting innovation projects aimed at enhancing the capabilities of Ukraine’s defence forces. Ukraine also provided an update on the implementation of its war plan and recent operational results. The report highlighted progress in airspace protection, the scaling of lower-tier air defence using interceptor drones, and improved effectiveness in target engagement.
Shortly afterward in Oslo, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre launched a new phase of security cooperation, taking an initial step toward the Drone Deal initiative and signing a joint declaration to deepen the defence partnership.
The document defines key areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities. It includes both the provision of military assistance from Norway and the development of technological partnerships between the two countries. Priority areas identified in the agreement include air defence, unmanned systems, electronic warfare capabilities, maritime security, as well as logistics and materiel support.
Special attention is given to expanding joint production and the development of defence technologies. The parties agreed to pursue technology exchange and increase production capacity, with the aim of reinforcing the defence industrial base. The agreement also supports the development of Ukraine’s drone industry. An additional focus is the creation of integrated, multi-layered air and missile defence systems. The leaders also agreed to involve international partners in efforts to scale up the production of missiles for air defence systems.
Additionally, Ukraine and Germany have recently concluded a set of defence agreements with a total value of approximately €4 billion. A key outcome of the negotiations was a series of arrangements aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s air defence capabilities. In particular, a contract was signed with Raytheon for the supply of several hundred missiles for Patriot missile system, with a total value of €3.2 billion. The financing for this agreement is being provided by Germany. This decision is expected to significantly enhance the protection of critical infrastructure as well as urban areas in Ukraine.
In addition, the parties agreed on the delivery of launcher systems for the IRIS-T. The deal is valued at approximately €182 million and is also funded by the German side.
A separate area of cooperation is the development of joint defence production. Under the Build with Ukraine initiative, agreements were reached to launch production of mid-strike class drones. The project includes the establishment of a joint venture in Germany, financing provided by the German side, and the transfer of all produced systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, the parties agreed to finance the development of Ukraine’s deep-strike capabilities. This includes investments of approximately €300 million directed toward the production of long-range strike systems.
Additionally, Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov and Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius signed what was described as Ukraine’s first agreement on the exchange of defence-related data with partner countries.
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Source: ukdefencejournal
