Ukraine conflict: UDCG nations announce air defence, unmanned systems, and artillery packages for Kyiv

Germany has ordered several hundred GEM-T missiles for Ukraine. (Raytheon)

Countries participating in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) in Berlin on 15 April 2026 announced air defence, unmanned systems, and artillery packages for Kyiv.

Opening the meeting, UDCG co-chairman German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Germany would provide Ukraine with several hundred Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical (GEM-T) missiles and additional launchers for the IRIS-T air defence system.

On 14 April, Raytheon, an RTX business, announced in a press release that it had signed a USD3.7 billion contract for the GEM-T missiles for Ukraine. The missiles will be built at the Raytheon-MBDA COMLOG joint venture's new facility in Schrobenhausen, Germany.

Pistorius said Germany would allocate EUR300 million (nearly USD353 million) to finance Ukrainian production of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and support its deep strike capabilities. He added that Germany and Ukraine had also agreed to continue joint development of medium- and long-range strike UAVs.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey, who co-chaired the UDCG meeting with Pistorius, announced that the UK would provide Ukraine over 120,000 unmanned systems in 2026. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a press release on 15 April that the new package, which it claimed was the largest ever unmanned system package supplied by the UK, would include thousands of long-range strike, intelligence, and reconnaissance UAVs. It would also include logistics and maritime unmanned vehicles that have been combat-proven in Ukraine, with deliveries beginning in May. The ministry said the majority of the investment would be spent with UK-based companies including Tekever, Windracers, and Malloy Aeronautics.