Freebies Over; Ukraine Signs Deal to Buy Small Arms from French Firm

Ukraine has officially signed a deal worth $36 million with French firearms manufacturer Verney-Carron S.A., signaling a possible end to the era of free military aid.

The agreement, announced on the company's official LinkedIn page, will see the production and transfer of approximately 12,000 rifles and 600 units of 40 mm under-barrel grenade launchers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The framework agreement, valued at €36 million, was solidified between Verney-Carron S.A. and Ukrspecexport. Under this arrangement, Ukraine is set to receive its first batch of equipment in early 2024, with the final delivery scheduled six months after the agreement's signing.

Verney-Carron S.A. offers a diverse range of small arms. Notably, their VDC15 assault rifles in 5.56 and .300 AAC caliber, which also vied for the title of the standard rifle for the French army, are among the firearms included in the procurement. The VDC family of firearms also encompasses the 7.62x39mm VDC10 sniper rifle designed for infantry snipers, in addition to a variety of buttstocks, handguards, and the LP40 family of 40mm under-barrel grenade launchers.

This deal follows a prior transaction where 300 Fort-600A stand-alone grenade launchers were provided to Ukrainian paratroopers.