One of the areas of practical cooperation with NATO is a defence-technical cooperation (DTC), which is directed by an appropriate NATO – Ukraine Joint Working Group (JWG) within the NATO – Ukraine Commission, created in March 2004. JWG is responsible for identifying and coordinating the implementation of the practical measures of cooperation in the field of armaments.
The JWG is headed by:
From the Ukrainian side – Serhii Demediuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
From NATO side – Camille Grand, NATO Deputy Secretary General for Defence Investment – Director of Defence Investment Department, NATO International Secretariat.
The objective of the DTC: pragmatic use of international cooperation for the development of weapons and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the national defence industry.
Systematic participation of Ukraine in the DTC events permits:
Use of the best technical standards/methodologies of the leading nations during the life cycle of weapons and military equipment (research, development, production, operation, storage, modernization, repair, recovery and utilization);
Development of industrial and scientific-technical potential, and competitiveness of the national defence enterprises.
The main forms of the DTC is Ukraine’s participation in:
Meetings within the Conference of NATO National Armaments Directors and its working groups/sub-groups;
NATO Committee for Standardization;
Development of technical standards, other NATO documents on armaments;
NATO subgroups on consultation, command and control;
Multinational projects of “Smart Defence” concept;
Research of NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) and NATO Science and Technology Organisation (STO);
Testing, multinational NATO research exercises.
Yet, under the DTC, Ukraine participates in:
The implementation of relevant NATO Trust Funds / Partnership for Peace (PfP) projects;
Support Partnerships and other projects of NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), which are of interest;
NATO Codification System (full level);
Implementation of the Program for the Exchange of Air Situational Data.
In 2014, five new Trust Funds have been launched for the benefit of Ukraine in the critical areas of development of security and defence sector, two of them related to DTC:
Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) Trust Fund
Aim: modernization of communications capabilities and acquisition of modern Communications and Information Services (CIS) and technologies.
Trust Fund for Disposal of Small Arms and Light Weapons and Conventional Ammunition in Ukraine
Aim: disposal of unserviceable ammunition small arms and light weapons and anti-personnel mines PFM-1 to implement the Ukraine’s commitments to the Ottawa Convention.
The Trust Fund was established in 2005 upon the request of the Ukrainian Government.
1st phase, 2006 – 2010 (completed)
2nd phase, since 2011 (on-going)
Since 2006, more than 29,6 tons of ammunition, 2,4 million of anti-personnel landmines PFM-1(S) have been disposed, and up to 110 people in the region have been employed.
Demilitarization activities were interrupted earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Special procedures have been put in place to ensure compliance with the sanitary and epidemiological regulations and to provide a safe work environment.
With the restarting of activities, another 1,5 thousand tons of unserviceable ammunitions are expected to be destroyed and safely disposed by the end of 2020.
Trust Fund on medical rehabilitation in Ukraine
Aim: To ensure that injured Ukrainian servicemen / women have access to appropriate rehabilitation services and that the local rehabilitation centres have the capability to provide and manage appropriate services.
- coordination of an medical treatment and rehabilitation services of wounded Ukrainian servicemen in medical institutions of NATO member and partner countries;
- sports rehabilitation of wounded servicemen;
- providing prosthetics including sports one;
- purchase and installation of medical, rehabilitation equipment and specially equipped minibuses for transportation of the disabled;
- vocational rehabilitation training;
- training of specialists in medical rehabilitation;
- support for the preparation and participation of the national team in US Marine Corps marathons, the Invictus Games, high-speed veterans' marches.