Capability coalitions in support of Ukraine

The Air Force Capability Coalition aims to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence, with a focus on combat aircraft. It does this by transferring Western combat aircraft – primarily F-16s – to Ukraine, and introducing Western air combat doctrine and tactics. Sweden’s donation of the Airborne Surveillance and Control aircraft (ASC 890) to Ukraine also constitutes a key aspect of the Coalition’s work.

The Armoured Capability Coalition aims to strengthen Ukraine’s capability to use armoured vehicles in combat and improve the overall mechanised capability of its units. Participating countries donate combat vehicles with anti-splinter protection and armour-piercing ammunition, and train Ukrainian personnel in tactics and combat techniques. The objective is to support Ukraine in both defensive battle and offensive operations.

The Artillery Coalition aims to provide Ukrainian forces with indirect fire capability (the ability to fire at targets that cannot be seen from the firing position). Indirect fire capability is critical to the defence of Ukrainian territory. Participating countries donate different types of artillery pieces with various calibres and ranges as well as other systems related to indirect fire. The Coalition also works to supply Ukraine with ammunition through donations and support to production in Ukraine. The Coalition also works on maintenance and upkeep of donated artillery systems. 

The Demining Coalition aims to develop Ukraine’s capability to clear landmines, as approximately 30 per cent of the country’s surface area is believed to be mined. The Coalition handles both military demining carried out by military units and humanitarian demining to clear mines in civilian infrastructure. The Coalition focuses on purchasing equipment and training Ukrainian personnel in demining.

The Drone Capability Coalition aims to enhance Ukraine’s capability to use drones while strengthening partner-country capabilities in this area. The Coalition contributes to technological development and offers opportunities to test drone systems, conduct major procurements of drone equipment and facilitate the exchange of experiences and lessons learned. Ukrainian soldiers are also trained in how to use drones.

The IT Coalition aims to enhance Ukraine’s cybersecurity and command and control systems by building secure and reliable IT infrastructure and providing tactically resilient communications systems for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and defence forces. This will make Ukraine more effective on the battlefield by creating secure networks for leadership, situational reports, command and control, and logistics planning. 

The Maritime Security Capability Coalition aims to enhance Ukraine’s maritime capability by strengthening the Ukrainian Navy and by supporting capacity-building of other maritime structures, such as the Ukrainian Sea Guard, customs and port authorities. The Coalition aims to improve Ukraine’s ability to conduct safe maritime transport and enhance the Ukrainian Navy’s maritime surveillance capacity, amphibious combat, control of the sea and countering Russian warships. From a short-term perspective, mine clearance of shipping lanes into Ukrainian ports is of the utmost importance to safeguard civilian shipping traffic.

The Coalition works in various constellations, including: the surface combat fleet, the Navy the river flotilla, naval aviation, unmanned capabilities and the Coastal Defence Brigade.