A Newcastle company is leading an extraordinary frontline battle to help Ukraine.

With Ukraine now the most mined country in the world, Pearson Engineering, located at Armstrong works in Newcastle, has secured a contract from the UK’s Ministry of Defence to provide equipment to defeat the threat of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

On behalf of the UK and the UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) awarded the contract to Pearson as part of more than £100million in maintenance & manoeuvre support announced in October.

The contract includes the supply of multi-purpose vehicle interfaces that will allow armoured vehicles already in Ukraine to accept self-protection mine ploughs which have been gifted by the British Army and refurbished by Pearson Engineering.

The vehicle interfaces will allow Ukraine’s armoured vehicle fleet to not only use mine ploughs to clear safe routes, but also to accept a wide range of other types of ground engaging equipment, should it be needed, to defeat other types of natural and deliberate obstacles.

Remotely controlled mine clearance vehicles called MW370 have also been provided to defeat ordnance and to create safe routes across large stretches of civilian land, as well as Barbadian Mine Rollers designed to protect against pressure-fused mines and IEDs.

Equipment has been provided with comprehensive spares and sustainment packages to ensure it can support the lives and assets of Ukrainian Armed Forces whilst in conflict.

Ian Bell, Group Chief Executive Officer at Pearson Engineering said:

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“Design and delivery of this type of lifesaving equipment is at the heart of Pearson Engineering’s operations.

“We have supplied more than 3,000 mine ploughs of various types around the world, and we continually invest to ensure that we can defeat modern threats as they evolve.

“We are trusted by international Armed Forces and we are committed to continuing to defeat battlefield obstacles to keep soldiers safe.”

Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country in the world and, without equipment to mitigate the threat of such devices to life and assets, operations to defend the country’s borders could be significantly hindered.

Maj Gen Anna-Lee Reilly, head of Strategic Capability, Engagement and Operations at DE&S, said: “We continue to work collaboratively with our industrial partners to ensure that Ukraine has the mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal capabilities it needs, both for the current battle, but also in the interests of a safer and more secure environment for the people of Ukraine in the longer term.”

The contract follows collaboration between Pearson and Germany’s Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) to supply route opening mine ploughs to Ukraine.