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Drones, F-16s: a guide to Ukraine military aid pledges Paris, Feb 16 (AFP) Feb 16, 2024 Ukraine's plea for more military aid to fight off Russia's invasion has cast a spotlight on its allies' commitments, with a major funding package currently blocked in the US Congress. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security deal with Germany on Friday and was due to seal a similar agreement with France, shoring up support as his forces struggle to hold off the Russian assault. Here is a guide to the main existing arrangements for channelling arms to Ukraine -- a series of so-called "coalitions" set up by a bloc of around 50 of its allies known as the Ramstein Group. The different coalitions focus on areas such as drones, ground-to-air defence, maritime security, demining, aviation and information technology, according to the US Defense Department. The main ones are:
The British defence ministry said it would provide thousands of "first-person view" drones, which allow operators to target armoured vehicles and ships. It said they have proved highly effective on the battlefield since Russia's 2022 invasion.
The coalition aims to "strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces' air defences to allow Ukraine among other things to be more effective on the ground and to protect Ukrainians," the French defence ministry said.
"There is no alternative to modern artillery," said Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov at the coalitions' launch. "We have to continue our efforts to increase our munitions production." France committed to deliver 18 French-made Caesar howitzers and said it could provide 60 more if allies would fund them. The guns will also require ammunition. The European Union had aimed to provide a million artillery rounds to Ukraine by March, but said last month that it would only meet half this target.
The coalition includes Britain, Canada and certain European countries. Among them, Denmark and the Netherlands are scheduled to deliver F-16s to Ukraine this year. burs-mdr/rlp/db
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