France and Ukraine will jointly manufacture equipment spare parts
11 July, 2023 Repair of the engine of the AMX-10 RC AFV.
2015. Photo credits: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP France and Ukraine are working towards joint production of spare parts for military equipment.
Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, shared that the framework for the joint production of spare parts has already been established. "The framework for the joint production of spare parts and maintenance of foreign weapons and equipment has been established," Oleksii Reznikov said. The defense ministries of France and Ukraine also signed an agreement at the NATO summit in Vilnius, which, in particular, assumes an increase in military aid.
On the sidelines of the summit in Vilnius, Oleksii Reznikov held a meeting with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
Oleksii Reznikov and Sebastien Lecornu, July 2023. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
The agreement covers an increase in military aid to Ukraine by EUR170 million. The process of procurement and supply of weapons to Ukraine will also be simplified.
The NATO summit began in Vilnius on July 11, during which the Allies will make important decisions on strengthening the Alliance's deterrence and defense system and confirm support for Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on the first day of the NATO summit that France will supply Ukraine with SCALP long-range cruise missiles, which are an analog of Britain's Storm Shadow. The planned missiles are being transferred to Ukraine from the French Armed Forces' own stockpile.
SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missile. Photo credits: gsminfo.com.ua
The drawdown of missiles from the stockpiles of the French army means transferring the original version. It is not controlled by export legislation, which limits the sale of weapons with a range of more than 300 kilometers.
The operational flight range of "domestic" missiles is 560 kilometers, depending on the flight mode.
French specialists will also participate in the training of Ukrainian pilots for the F-16.