United to win: Britain to provide Ukraine with 23 boats and 20 all-terrain vehicles

Bandvagn BvS 10 armored tracked all-terrain vehicle

valdis

As part of military aid, Ukraine will receive 23 high-speed boats and 20 Bandvagn BvS 10 (Viking) two-track tracked all-terrain vehicles from Great Britain.

The British Ministry of Defense reported this.

What is the problem?

It is worth noting that Ukrainian ships still sail under the flag of Great Britain, although they also have the symbols of Ukraine's naval forces.

What is the solution?

The United Kingdom has delivered two Sandown-class minesweepers to Ukraine, although they cannot reach their destination. These are specifically the Chernihiv and Cherkasy mine countermeasures ships.

^{Anti-mine ships of the Sandown class "Cherkasy" and "Chernihiv." Photo: Navy of Ukraine's armed forces}

As explained by the spokesman of the Navy of Ukraine's armed forces, Dmytro Pletenchuk, in accordance with the requirements of the Montreux Convention, Turkey stopped the movement of all ships to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits. Therefore, minesweepers cannot reach Ukraine yet.

However, Ukraine needs to develop its fleet because, after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, most of the ships were seized by the Russian Federation.

How does it work?

So, on December 10, Norway and Great Britain created a maritime coalition to support Ukraine.

The new association of countries will supply ships and other means of transport to strengthen Ukraine's ability to operate at sea.

How does it work?

The transfer of boats and armored vehicles will take place within the framework of the maritime coalition to help Ukraine, which Great Britain and Norway led.

The Maritime Coalition will work closely with the Ukrainian Navy and the Ministry of Defense to provide long-term support to Ukraine, including training, equipment, and infrastructure to strengthen security in the Black Sea.

Today it was announced that the UK and Norway will co-lead a Maritime Capability Coalition that will offer a blueprint for the development of Ukraine's Navy. The re-building effort has begun with the UK providing new ships and equipment.
https://t.co/85weUwkwXr

🇬🇧🇺🇦🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/VIGzBqjLf0

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) December 11, 2023

The initiative will also help Ukraine in:

• Marine Corps development,
• obtaining river patrol ships for the protection of coastal and inland waterways.

Also, the head of the British Ministry of Defense, Grant Shapps, confirmed the transfer of two Sandown class minesweepers to Ukraine under the agreement, which was ratified in January 2022.

^{Bandvagn BvS 10 armored tracked all-terrain vehicle}

The exact model of the boats that the Ukrainian military will receive is unknown. They are probably intended for marine transportation, carrying out patrols in coastal waters, or raids.

Moreover, Britain will transfer 20 Bandvang all-terrain vehicles.

The Bandvagn BvS 10 is a fully amphibious, two-track armored vehicle for all–terrain use.

It is based on the dual-cab articulated steering system typical of Hägglunds all-terrain vehicles. In the British armed forces, it received the name Viking.

The machine has a 5.9-liter Cummins diesel engine. It has improved ground clearance, transmission, and steering compared to the older models, which allow it to travel at speeds of up to 65 km/h on the road and on-road and off-road comfort.

The all-terrain vehicle has a carrying capacity of up to 5 tons.

In addition, it can add various modular subsystems, such as:

• additional armor,
• weapon mount,
• and cargo platforms.

The all-terrain vehicle was designed to work in arctic, desert, or jungle conditions. Cars, in particular, are used to transport troops.

• The BvS 10 tracked armored personnel carrier is equipped with:
• rotating turret on the roof of the front part of the car,
• can also be equipped with one 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun,
• or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.

For reference:

At the beginning of December, Sweden, Norway, and Finland announced the allocation of EUR 21.5 million in contributions to the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) fund, which will support critical municipal infrastructure and environmental investments in Ukraine.