More UAV interceptors: Ukrainian companies dominate Drone Coalition tenders
22 November 2024 16:08
For the first time, Ukrainian manufacturers took part in a series of international tenders for the production of advanced FPV drones with autonomous functions and stable communication, as well as interceptor drones. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the defense ministry, Ukrainian UAV manufacturers were the first in terms of the number of applications for the production of interceptor drones, with a total of 32% of the total. As for advanced FPV drones, Ukrainian companies were second with 26% of the proposals.
The call for applications for the production of advanced FPV drones ended in October. The call for proposals for the development of interceptor drones ended on November 11. Companies that win the Drone Coalition tenders will receive orders for drones that will be tested and evaluated. If their developments show good results at this stage, larger orders for FPV drones from the winning manufacturers are planned.
How the Drone Coalition works
This association was established in February 2024 during the 19th Ramstein meeting. The initiative was proposed by Latvia and is coordinated jointly with the United Kingdom. The Drone Coalition currently includes 16 partner countries.
Ukraine has already received thousands of drones as part of the initiative. It is expected that the funds already accumulated by the Coalition for joint procurement, which amount to €71 million, will be used to purchase and deliver another 20,000 to 30,000 drones.
Financial support for drone manufacturers in Ukraine
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense discussed with MPs the effectiveness of developing and implementing programs of preferential financing and portfolio guarantees for the development of the Ukrainian defense industry.
This is exactly what should accelerate the localization and increase the scale of production, in particular, of drones, UAVs, electronic warfare equipment and robotic systems.
More than UAH 90 billion has already been contracted for 2024-2025: 55% for long-range drones, 37% for other UAVs, 6% for electronic warfare and 2% for robotic systems. The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that this approach will make it even more efficient to provide the Armed Forces with modern equipment.
