Equipment, licenses, and digital services: how the IT Coalition enhances and scales the digital capabilities of the Defence Forces of Ukraine

The IT Coalition was established in September 2023 under the ‘Ramstein’ format framework to provide targeted support to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of information technology (IT), communications, and cybersecurity.

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has been steadily advancing IT infrastructure and cybersecurity for several years, with significant assistance from the partner nations within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which are members of the IT Coalition.

The IT Coalition focuses on communications, IT, and cybersecurity. Its goal is to develop a secure and resilient IT infrastructure for the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine in line with NATO standards. 

“The IT Coalition’s efforts continuously strengthen the Ukrainian military by providing modern digital tools for effective operations, enhancing situational awareness on the battlefield, and improving the quality of combat command and control, as well as defense resource management,” emphasized Kateryna Chernohorenko, Deputy Minister of Defence for Digital Development.

Currently, the Coalition comprises 17 nations: Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Canada, and the lead nations of Estonia and Luxembourg. 

The IT Coalition's activities are coordinated by the Steering Group, which convenes every two months to assess the current needs of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces and approve procurement packages. Member states contribute through financial donations for centralized procurement or by directly providing equipment, services, software, or licenses.  

Contributions from donor nations are administered by Luxembourg and transferred to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), which acts as the procurement body on behalf of the donor nations. 

The IT Coalition has accumulated over €500 million, with €429.5 million in tangible assets and €78.7 million in monetary contributions. Ukraine has already received a portion of this assistance, valued at more than €133.6 million. 

Through the IT Coalition’s efforts, the following IT enhancements have been achieved:

• Provision of essential licenses and equipment for the Ministry of Defence and AFU cybersecurity units, as well as developers of the DELTA combat system. This Ukrainian digital system, interoperable with NATO, enables the Defence Forces to command and control battlefield operations effectively.
• Delivery of communications equipment, laptops, and tablets to tactical-level units, ensuring access to critical IT services essential for command and control of combat operations.
• Scaling up the use of the SAP platform and upgrading multiple MoD data centers to support system deployment. Germany provided a three-year SAP license at no cost, enhancing the management of military assets and resources while increasing transparency in their accounting.
• Upgrades to infrastructure and workstations for the Oberih registry, alongside support for the development and implementation of digital projects such as Army+ and Reserve+, which reduce paperwork and streamline processes for service members and reservists.

In total, eight Capability Coalitions have been established within the framework of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group: The Air Force Coalition, the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Coalition, the Maritime Capability Coalition, the Drone Coalition, the IT Coalition, the Artillery Coalition, the Armored Vehicles and Maneuverability Coalition, and the Demining Capability Coalition.