The UK has pledged more than £500 million in urgent air defence support for Ukraine, underscoring its continued military backing as NATO sharpens its focus on

security in both Eastern Europe and the Arctic.

The announcement was made on Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels by Defence Secretary John Healey, who linked the new package to Britain’s broader strategy within the Alliance, including an expanded role in the High North.

Speaking after meetings with NATO allies, Healey said the UK was simultaneously strengthening its military posture in the Arctic while accelerating help for Ukraine as it faces ongoing aerial attacks.

“Yesterday I was in the High North, confirming that the UK is doubling its Marines and its major military exercises there,” Healey said. “This morning, I’m here at NATO, confirming that Britain will play a central part in NATO’s new Arctic security mission, Arctic Sentry, to strengthen security in the region.”

He added that support for Ukraine would be stepped up immediately. “This afternoon, I’ll be confirming that Britain is providing an extra half a billion pounds in urgent air defence to Ukraine,” he said.

Healey described the measures as part of a wider UK effort to reinforce European security through NATO at a time of rising global instability. “This is Britain being a force for good in the world, building a new deal for European security within NATO,” he said.

He also praised the role of the armed forces and Britain’s leadership within the Alliance. “I’m proud of the UK’s armed forces. I’m proud of the UK’s leadership. I’m proud of the UK’s commitment to our allies,” Healey said, warning that NATO must remain united and ready in what he called a more dangerous era. “We will back you. We will defend you. We will fight with you in this new era of threat and hard power.”

What the £500m air defence package includes

According to the Ministry of Defence, the funding will be used to rapidly supply new air defence missiles and systems aimed at protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and civilian areas from missile and drone attacks.

The package includes:

- £150 million for NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism designed to speed up the delivery of critical air defence interceptors, with NATO coordinating purchases from the United States on Ukraine’s behalf.

- 1,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs), produced in Belfast, to help defend cities and vital infrastructure against aerial threats.

- A £390 million industrial deal building on UK-Ukraine cooperation, involving the transfer of production and support for Rapid Ranger launchers and command-and-control vehicles to Ukraine.

- Further deliveries in the coming months, including 1,200 additional air defence missiles and 200,000 rounds of artillery ammunition supplied through the Air Defence Consortium.

The announcement comes as NATO defence ministers gather in Brussels to discuss increased defence spending, industrial capacity and long-term military support for Ukraine, alongside new Alliance initiatives focused on the strategically important High North. Photo by U.S. Department of State from United States, Wikimedia commons.