Solutions to win: Ukrainian Defense Ministry launches in-house FPV drone production
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has launched licensed production of FPV drones at one of its state-owned enterprises
The Ministry of Defense reported this.
What is the solution?
The department noted that the state has now gained the capability to produce codified FPV drones. This pilot project, initiated under the guidance of the Ministry of Defense's Main Department of Defense Innovations, was launched in December.
How does it work?
A private developer has been granted a license to produce drones at a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Defense's jurisdiction as part of a tripartite agreement.
The manufactured UAVs will be transferred to units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. After testing the technology and scaling up production, the enterprise can participate independently in the Defense Procurement Agency tenders.
"The experience is positive. Thanks to the integration of the state into production chains, we have gained a clear understanding of the cost of drone production and our competitive advantages in this market. This will allow us to improve the quality of finished products through sustainable competition," First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, commented.
Specialists of the Main Department of Defense Innovations of the Ministry of Defense have developed a roadmap for organizing similar production together with other drone developers. This will help significantly increase production capacity and scale up the production of FPV drones.
"We are ready to expand cooperation with private companies. We have a package of template documents and step-by-step instructions for launching similar lines for the production of UAVs at other state-owned enterprises," Yurii Taraniuk, head of the Main Department of Defense Innovations, said.
For reference:
It should be noted that combat units of Ukraine's armed forces will receive direct funding of UAH 2.5 billion monthly. These funds will be distributed among the brigades to purchase drones.
Also, the Ukrainian defense industry produced over 30,000 bomber drones last year, which the defense forces actively use to perform strike missions.
During a press conference on December 19, 2023, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that one million drones would be produced in Ukraine next year.
Earlier, the head of Ukraine's Security Service announced that a unique marine surface drone, "Sea Baby," was produced in Ukraine. The drones are produced in Ukraine, but the factories are underground.
In addition, according to the Minister of Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine has established serial production of the domestic analog of Shahed UAVs. Dozens of such drones can be produced in a month.
Moreover, engineers from Kryvyi Rih have begun mass-producing domestic strike UAVs – the Cobra aircraft, with a flight range of up to 300 km.
It is worth adding that the construction of the Bayraktar drone production plant continues in Ukraine. It is planned to produce more than 100 units of drones every year.
Ukrainian drone manufacturers are already capable of producing up to 150,000 units of products every month, and by the end of 2024, they plan to produce a total of 2 million drones.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has significantly increased the production of drones and aviation complexes. We are not only talking about copters and strike drones but also about naval drones. As Volodymyr Zelensky reported, Ukraine can produce a total of 4 million drones each year. To date, more than 1.5 million UAVs have been contracted.
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