The Drone Coalition has announced its third international tender, inviting Ukrainian companies to participate

The Drone Coalition has announced a new international tender. The tender focuses on tactical-level multi-rotor intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance drones (ISR). As with the series of tenders for drone interceptors and FPV drones, Ukrainian companies are eligible to submit applications. The submission of proposals is open until March 17.

To view the technical requirements and participate in the tender, companies must register on the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's Defence Sourcing Portal and select the Drone Capability Coalition – Tactical Multirotor ISR UAV lot for submission.

The Defence Forces urgently need tactical-level multi-rotor ISR drones, which is why the Drone Coalition has prioritized these drones. Thanks to these drones, the military can conduct reconnaissance of the area and enhance the situational awareness of their units.

“The effort to create an asymmetric advantage continues by scaling drone production in Ukraine and internationally. It is crucial to maintain momentum and enhance the Defence Forces' capabilities to maximize their ability to destroy the enemy,” said Kateryna Chernohorenko, Deputy Minister of Defence for Digital Development. 

As a reminder, the previous tender featured two lots: enhanced FPV drones and drone interceptors. It was the first time that Ukrainian manufacturers could participate in the tender. According to the results, 14 companies were selected for the FPV drones lot, and 5 companies for the drone interceptors lot. During January and February, these models were tested in Latvia. The best-performing drones will subsequently be tested in Ukraine, and should the declared characteristics be validated, the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom will finalize contracts for large-scale procurement using the Drone Coalition Joint Fund. 

The Drone Coalition was established in February 2024 during the 19th Ramstein meeting. This idea was put forward by Latvia. Coordination of the initiative is carried out in collaboration with the UK. The Coalition currently comprises 18 countries: Latvia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Germany, Sweden, and Ukraine.