Three French defence companies to set up weapon production in Ukraine
Some French defence companies are planning to set up weapon production in Ukraine to support Kyiv in its struggle against Russian aggression, according to French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
The Minister highlighted that three companies would forge partnerships with Ukrainian producers, especially in the unmanned aerial vehicles and ground vehicles sectors, to produce spare parts on Ukrainian soil, and possibly ammunition in the future.
Though the minister didn't specify all three companies involved, he hinted that the group includes tank manufacturer KNDS, a joint holding formed by France's Nexter and Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
"The goal is to launch the first production capacities by this summer," Lecornu emphasized.
On March 1, Lecornu announced that France had ordered 100 drones from manufacturer Delair for Ukraine. He noted that Kyiv would receive these drones as part of a special French military program. In total, Paris plans to order 2,000 drones to meet the needs of both the French and Ukrainian military personnel.
Previously, on January 2, French Ambassador to Ukraine Gael Veyssiere stated that France's military support to Ukraine will gradually evolve as the focus shifts towards producing more weapons within Ukraine, rather than exclusively relying on foreign aid or purchases to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces.