Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, participated in the 23rd Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Brussels, Belgium, hosted by United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. The meeting brought together representatives from more than 50 countries. Minister Blair and his counterparts reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and received a battlefield update from Ukraine's Defence Minister and general staff.
At today's meeting, Minister Blair announced that Canada plans to send an initial tranche of 2,300 CRV7 rocket motors to Ukraine. The decommissioned rocket motors were previously used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on CF-18 fighter aircraft. Over the past few months, Magellan Aerospace and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) have been testing the rocket motors to ensure their viability following a request from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for this equipment.
Minister Blair further announced that Canada will donate 29 Nanuk Remote Weapons Systems from surplus Canadian Armed Forces inventory. The Nanuk is a remotely controlled weapon station that can be integrated on various armoured vehicle platforms and used for different mission profiles. The Nanuk Systems were manufactured by Rheinmetall Canada and are used by the Canadian Army on its light armoured vehicles.
In addition to these donations, Canada will send more than 130,000 rounds of surplus small arms ammunition to the AFU.
Minister Blair also confirmed that the first four of 50 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles built by Canadian workers in London, Ontario are heading to the AFU. The first four vehicles, which are the ambulance variant of the vehicle, will be delivered to Europe in the coming weeks where Ukrainian troops will be trained in their use.
Minister Blair also confirmed that:
- The delivery of the previously announced 900 Canadian-made drones will begin this month. These drones are capable of surveillance and gathering, as well as transportation and delivery of supplies. More deliveries will follow in the coming months.
- The 10 rigid-hull multi-role boats, including training, that Canada previously committed to providing to Ukraine will be delivered in July. These boats will support Ukraine's maritime operations including search and rescue, troop and cargo transport, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Following the UDCG meeting, Minister Blair signed the Armour Capability Coalition Letter of Intent, formalizing Canada's membership in the Coalition. Canada has been actively participating in meetings of the Armour Capability Coalition since its establishment in January.
