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Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence has reported that the second meeting of the IT Coalition Steering Group took place in the Grand Duchy on Wednesday 3 April 2024.
The IT Coalition is a group of states within the framework of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ("Ramstein format") led by Estonia and Luxembourg, focused on providing support to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence and its Armed Forces in the areas of IT, communication and cybersecurity. Its launch was announced back in September 2023.
This second meeting brought together representatives from ten participating nations, seven observer nations, the European Union and NATO.
After a briefing on the status of ongoing procurements and priorities for 2024, the participating nations and observers of the IT Coalition worked on a roadmap to plan acquisitions to be made in 2024 and the following years. According to the Directorate of Defence, this roadmap allows for better coordination and planning of the contributions of the participating nations.
Addressing the participants, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defence, Kateryna Chernohorenko, said: "I'm grateful to all coalition members and our partners for continuing to support us. All contributions help address the critical needs of our military and our IT infrastructure. I invite more countries to join our initiative and to continue their support for Ukraine. Contributions and rapid procurement and delivery are what we need most right now."
The IT Coalition Steering Group created four thematic expert groups in order to share expertise. Estonia and Luxembourg announced further financial contributions to the IT Coalition.
"Through our support to Ukraine, we defend our common values and contribute to our own security. The IT coalition is an important part of this support, because it helps boost Ukraine's technological edge on the battlefield. I am glad to say we are making progress with filling Ukraine's capability gaps through the IT Coalition. In the near term, we can expect more nations to join, as well as additional contributions and first equipment deliveries to Ukraine," said Undersecretary for Defence Policy at the Estonian Ministry of Defence, Tuuli Duneton.
"Since the last Steering Group meeting in February, we have managed to speed up the procurement processes, we have placed the first purchase orders and the first deliveries are on their way. ICT is a game changer and has a direct impact on operations. Hence the importance of the IT Coalition and its activities and why we continue to invite nations to join," concluded Luxembourg National Armaments Director, Colonel Guy Hoffmann.
