Combat brigades received 500,000 items, including drones, ground robotic systems, and other equipment, through DOT-Chain Defence
Over the seven months since the launch of the DOT-Chain Defence IT system operated by the Defence Procurement Agency DOT, combat brigades of the Defence Forces of Ukraine received 500,000 items, including FPV drones, ground robotic systems, electronic warfare (EW) equipment, interceptor drones, and UAVs of various types. The total value of the deliveries is UAH 23.3 billion.
“The modern battlefield requires rapid and precise supply — delivering exactly what is needed, here and now. This means that at any given moment, the military does not need ‘just any drone’, but one with specific characteristics relevant to the situation on that particular sector of the front. This also means that ‘traditional procurement for stock’ does not work, because you will receive ‘some drone’, rather than the one that is actually needed. DOT-Chain Defence solves this problem. Commanders can order exactly what they need at the moment, and the equipment will be delivered within a matter of weeks,” said Taras Chmut, member of the Supervisory Board of the Defence Procurement Agency DOT.
With the new operational model and the digitalization of the supply cycle, the average delivery time for products available in manufacturers’ warehouses is about 10 days. The marketplace format allows the military to independently select, using state funds, the assets that best meet the requirements of their missions in their sector.
“More than 500,000 assets in seven months is a good result for a system that did not exist a year ago, but this is not the limit. The needs of the front are greater, so we are continuously scaling, improving, and expanding the functionality of DOT-Chain Defence,” added Arsen Zhumadilov, Director of the Defence Procurement Agency DOT of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
The Agency contracts manufacturers before they are added to the system, and payments are made only after the products are delivered to military units. This approach ensures efficient use of budget funds and a wide range of available assets.
The most popular asset categories in DOT-Chain Defence currently include:
- FPV drones, including fiber-optic-controlled systems;
- heavy strike drones (bombers);
- reconnaissance aircraft and fixed-wing drones.
Since the launch of the system, 199 units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two corps of the National Guard of Ukraine — Azov and Khartiia — and the Lazar UAS special unit have used the platform. DOT-Chain Defence is also an integral part of the implementation of the “Army of Drones Bonus” incentive program for units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine.
The product catalogue includes nearly 500 different items from more than 140 domestic manufacturers. The Agency is actively expanding this list and is already working to add munitions for unmanned aerial systems to the DOT-Chain Defence. As part of this effort, on February 26, the Defence Procurement Agency DOT held a market consultation on bringing in manufacturers of drone-dropped munitions and further clarified the requirements for commercial proposals and supporting documents.