Latest news with #DroneSummit
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Drones in Ukraine show the way Western militaries are run is 'outdated,' UK warns
The war in Ukraine shows that the way Western militaries are run is outdated, a UK minister warned. Drones evolve so fast that "we have to fundamentally challenge our assumptions," Luke Pollard said. He was speaking at a summit of more than 100 drone companies, military officials, and ministers. The war in Ukraine has shown that the way Western militaries are run is "outdated" because of how fast battlefield tech like drones evolves, a defence minister has warned. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion showed "the way we have run our militaries, the way we have run our defense, is outdated. And that is the case across the NATO alliance." Pollard said that drones had "shifted the tectonic plates of warfare," and the speed of their innovation showed how much faster procurement and innovation have to happen. Drone tech "iterates every two to three weeks on the front line" with a "fundamentally different" model, Pollard said Wednesday, adding, "That means we have to fundamentally challenge our assumptions about how we procure." He said that NATO militaries "build and procure really expensive high-end bits of kit. And it will take you five, 10 years: five years to run a procurement challenge, another 10 years to build it." "If we allow ourselves to be stuck in old-world thinking, we will not be providing the tech that Ukraine needs, we will not be providing the security that we need," Pollard added. Pollard was speaking at the Drone Summit, which brought together drone companies, military officials, and government ministers in Latvia, a NATO member bordering Russia. Drones have played a bigger role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine than in any other conflict in history, and have upended many traditional fighting rules by taking the place of some artillery and infantry. Cheap drones have also destroyed pieces of weaponry that are worth millions, like tanks and air defenses. Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of the robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, which operates ground drones, told Business Insider in March: "What was up to date and relevant half a year ago is not up to date and relevant anymore." Pollard was echoing previous warnings that the West needs to change its approach to weaponry to fight an adversary like Russia. Military officials and warfare experts have warned that the West must amass a larger volume of cheaper weaponry and shift its focus away from fewer pieces of more advanced and expensive kit. In January, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte gave a similar warning, saying, "speed is of the essence, not perfection." Officials also questioned the value of some high-value weaponry in the face of drones. US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said earlier this month that the US can't keep developing and buying expensive weaponry that can be destroyed by far cheaper drones. Pollard told the summit that, with drones, there must be a change "that is built into all our procurements that says what we can buy and build and scale faster than we have done before." He said this change would be harder for larger companies, but there needs to be a startup-style culture for companies to "not go along with the guide rails and the rules of the game but to innovate based on what is working." Pollard said that, while a coalition of 18 countries had delivered tens of thousands of drones to Ukraine, the war shows how much more needs to be done. "Big numbers need sustainable supply chains that can scale up when wartime demand requires it. Our industrial bases across Europe, across the globe, must become as agile as the systems we seek to produce with our people as skilled as the operators who deploy them on the frontline of Ukraine," he said. The gathering saw repeated warnings that the West's work is not enough. Ruben Brekelmans, the Netherlands' defense minister, told the summit that, in much of Europe, "We are quite fast at developing drones, but we are not producing drones on a massive scale. And I think that's a step that we need to take." He added Ukraine's allies had to work together to achieve "mass production quite quickly, because Ukraine needs it. We need it as well." Many European countries have warned that they could be attacked next, and supply Ukraine not only to keep Russia's war machine occupied, but to test battlefield tech. Russia still has a large military, and it has kept some of its advanced equipment out of Ukraine and unscathed from the war. Many current and former Western military officials also warn that Russia's war machine is far more spun up than Western ones. "Russia has surpassed us technologically. And more dangerously, it has surpassed us in terms of speed and scale," Valerii Churkin, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said at the summit. "The enemy moves faster than we do," he added. Churkin urged more collaboration, telling his country's European allies, "Ukraine is not just a recipient of aid. We are your test." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Drones in Ukraine show the way Western militaries are run is 'outdated,' UK warns
The war in Ukraine has shown that the way Western militaries are run is "outdated" because of how fast battlefield tech like drones evolves, a defence minister has warned. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion showed "the way we have run our militaries, the way we have run our defense, is outdated. And that is the case across the NATO alliance." Pollard said that drones had "shifted the tectonic plates of warfare," and the speed of their innovation showed how much faster procurement and innovation have to happen. Drone tech "iterates every two to three weeks on the front line" with a "fundamentally different" model, Pollard said Wednesday, adding, "That means we have to fundamentally challenge our assumptions about how we procure." He said that NATO militaries "build and procure really expensive high-end bits of kit. And it will take you five, 10 years: five years to run a procurement challenge, another 10 years to build it." "If we allow ourselves to be stuck in old-world thinking, we will not be providing the tech that Ukraine needs, we will not be providing the security that we need," Pollard added. Pollard was speaking at the Drone Summit, which brought together drone companies, military officials, and government ministers in Latvia, a NATO member bordering Russia. Drones have played a bigger role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine than in any other conflict in history, and have upended many traditional fighting rules by taking the place of some artillery and infantry. Cheap drones have also , like tanks and air defenses. Oleksandr Yabchanka, the head of the robotic systems for Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, which operates ground drones, told Business Insider in March: "What was up to date and relevant half a year ago is not up to date and relevant anymore." Pollard was echoing previous warnings that the West needs to change its approach to weaponry to fight an adversary like Russia. Military officials and warfare experts have warned that the West must amass a larger volume of cheaper weaponry and shift its focus away from fewer pieces of more advanced and expensive kit. In January, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte gave a similar warning, saying, "speed is of the essence, not perfection." Officials also questioned the value of some high-value weaponry in the face of drones. US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said earlier this month that the US can't keep developing and buying expensive weaponry that can be destroyed by far cheaper drones. New rules Pollard told the summit that, with drones, there must be a change "that is built into all our procurements that says what we can buy and build and scale faster than we have done before." He said this change would be harder for larger companies, but there needs to be a startup-style culture for companies to "not go along with the guide rails and the rules of the game but to innovate based on what is working." Pollard said that, while a coalition of 18 countries had delivered tens of thousands of drones to Ukraine, the war shows how much more needs to be done. "Big numbers need sustainable supply chains that can scale up when wartime demand requires it. Our industrial bases across Europe, across the globe, must become as agile as the systems we seek to produce with our people as skilled as the operators who deploy them on the frontline of Ukraine," he said. Stark warnings The gathering saw repeated warnings that the West's work is not enough. Ruben Brekelmans, the Netherlands' defense minister, told the summit that, in much of Europe, "We are quite fast at developing drones, but we are not producing drones on a massive scale. And I think that's a step that we need to take." He added Ukraine's allies had to work together to achieve "mass production quite quickly, because Ukraine needs it. We need it as well." Many European countries have warned that they could be attacked next, and supply Ukraine not only to keep Russia's war machine occupied, but to test battlefield tech. Russia still has a large military, and it has kept some of its advanced equipment out of Ukraine and unscathed from the war. Many current and former Western military officials also warn that Russia's war machine is far more spun up than Western ones. "Russia has surpassed us technologically. And more dangerously, it has surpassed us in terms of speed and scale," Valerii Churkin, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said at the summit. "The enemy moves faster than we do," he added. Churkin urged more collaboration, telling his country's European allies, "Ukraine is not just a recipient of aid. We are your test."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Drone coalition pledges €2.75bn to support Ukraine in 2025
The international drone coalition has committed to providing €2.75 billion in 2025 to support Ukraine's defence against Russian aggression. Source: Latvian Ministry of Defence, as reported by the Oboronka project of Mezha Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda's holding company Details: Türkiye and Belgium have expressed their intention to join the coalition, which currently comprises 18 countries. Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds announced these developments during the Drone Summit in Riga on 28 May 2025. Sprūds stated that the coalition's expansion will enable increased drone supplies to Ukraine while strengthening the defence industries of Latvia, the EU and NATO countries. Since its establishment on 14 February 2024, the drone coalition has provided significant support to Ukraine, allocating €1.8 billion in 2024. Over two years, total support will reach €4.5 billion. The minister noted that coalition members have collectively contributed approximately €180 million to the UK-led UAV procurement fund. This fund supports centralised drone procurement alongside national support measures by each member country. Latvia plans to allocate €20 million in 2025 for drone purchases within the coalition framework, plus an additional €10 million for collaborative projects with Ukrainian defence companies. In 2024, Latvia contributed €20 million and supplied nearly 5,000 combat drones to Ukraine. Background: The coalition currently includes Latvia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Germany, Sweden and Ukraine. With Türkiye and Belgium's accession, membership will grow to 20 countries. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkey, Belgium to join drone coalition for Ukraine
Turkey and Belgium are set to join the international Drone Coalition supporting Ukraine, Latvia's Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced on May 28 during the Drone Summit in Riga. The coalition, co-led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, is expected to allocate 2.75 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in 2025 to support Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. "The international Drone Coalition is becoming increasingly stronger — we will be able to deliver more drones to Ukraine while simultaneously strengthening the defense industries of Latvia, the EU, and NATO countries," Spruds said. "Our strength lies in unity." With the addition of Belgium and Turkey, the Drone Coalition will grow to 20 member states. The coalition, officially launched in February 2024, includes countries such as the U.K., Germany, Canada, France, Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine, among others. Each new member must be approved by existing coalition states, according to the memorandum of understanding. Since its inception, the coalition has committed a total of 4.5 billion euros ($5 billion) in aid to Ukraine over two years, including 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) in 2024 and the planned 2.75 billion euros ($3.1 billion) for 2025. The Drone Coalition plays crucial role in supporting Ukraine's use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have become key in targeting Russian military infrastructure, including airfields, oil depots, and logistics hubs deep inside Russian territory. In March, the coalition allocated 20 million euros ($22.5 million) from a joint fund to procure tactical reconnaissance drones for Ukraine, following an urgent request from Kyiv. The coalition complements Ukraine's domestic initiatives such as the "Drone Line," launched in February, which aims to accelerate battlefield drone deployment. Read also: Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
