Ukraine can play useful role in Strait of Hormuz, Britain says

KYIV: Ukraine can play ​a useful role in international efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, Britain’s armed services minister said, ‌praising its drone technology as among the best in the world.

Britain has organized discussions this month among more than 30 nations on how to reopen the strait, amid an Iranian blockade that has choked oil supplies to the global economy following U.S. and Israeli strikes on ​Iran.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week Kyiv had participated in consultations, on safeguarding navigation, drawing on expertise from four years ​of war with Russia. Ukraine has already deployed more than 200 experts to the Middle ⁠East, where they have downed Iran’s long-range Shahed drones.

“Ukraine has some of the best technology in the world that it’s ​developed here in the war. I think that could provide utility in the Middle East, as we’re seeing already against ​Shahed drones, all the way through to the Strait of Hormuz,” Al Carns said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday.

Carns, who served as a colonel in Britain’s armed forces before being elected to parliament two years ago, said his visit was intended to reassure ​Kyiv that the war in Ukraine remained Britain’s top defence and security priority.

He played down tensions within the NATO military ​alliance following U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of European allies for not joining the Iran war, saying NATO was still the “backbone of ‌our ⁠security”.

‘REVOLUTION IN MILITARY AFFAIRS’

While Britain is providing funding, training and military capability to Ukraine, Carns said there was also much the UK could learn from Kyiv’s battlefield innovations, particularly in drone technology, the use of data and AI.

“It’s a revolution in military affairs, and we need to move faster,” Carns said.

Incorporating advances in warfare into Britain’s 10-year defence investment ​plan – due late last year – ​is taking time but the ⁠report will be ready this spring, Carns said.

Carns urged Ukraine to accelerate exports of its cutting-edge technology to capture a corner of the global market before other nations catch ​up, and to facilitate learning and development with NATO allies.

Ukraine issued its first export ​licences in February. ⁠Kyiv hopes to raise funds to expand its defence industry while using its weapons as diplomatic leverage with allies.
However, some industry executives have complained Kyiv is dragging its heels in approving licences and risks missing the opportunity presented by the Iran war.

“Ukraine ⁠needs to ​speed up its capacity to export,” Carns said. “I still believe the best ​systems sit in Ukraine, but the rest of the world is catching up.”

Britain is home to a plant making Ukrainian interceptor drones that started production ​in February. Another UK-headquartered Ukrainian military tech company, UForce, produces the Magura sea drone.