The role of UAVs and robotic systems on the battlefield is growing rapidly today. Drones perform a wide range of tasks, from reconnaissance and remote mining to fire control and targeting. It is difficult to overestimate the role of robotic systems in the context of conducting fire without putting our military in danger, performing frontline logistics, evacuating the wounded, and mining/de-mining.

-         Our task is to provide our soldiers with as many modern tools of warfare as possible. We are witnessing how modern technologies are changing the architecture of hostilities. Many new means of destruction have appeared on the battlefield, and new tactics of using troops are being used. That is why the production of UAVs, electronic warfare systems, reconnaissance, ground robotic systems for various purposes and other innovative weapons is among the top priorities. The initiative on the battlefield belongs to those who invest in innovative developments and expand them, who will have more modern drones and robotic systems, more accurate and long-range weapons,” said Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, First Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

 The production of many types of weapons and equipment is increasing in the domestic defence industry, he noted. The unmanned aerial systems production cluster is also gaining momentum. According to him, domestic manufacturers have significantly increased production volumes, especially of FPV drones, which are in constant demand by our military.

 Last year, the Ministry of Defence coded and approved a total of about 60 unmanned aerial systems for various purposes: attack, reconnaissance, etc. In the first five months of this year, more than 40 samples have been NATO coded and approved for operation. Most of them are FPV drones. All of the drones that were coded this year were made in Ukraine!

We would like to add that some of the domestically produced drones have been launched through the Fast Track digital platform (https://miltech.usf.com.ua/) and Brave1, a Defence Tech development support cluster co-founded by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

  The share of ground-based robotic systems and distantlly controlled combat modules of domestic production, which have received codification in the Ministry of Defence, is also increasing. Last year, the Ministry of Defence codified and approved almost a dozen and a half of ground robots of Ukrainian and foreign production. And in the first five months of this year, the Ministry of Defence codified a total of more than two dozen models. Last year and this year, the share of Ukrainian-made products dominated in the segment of ground robot systems and remote-controlled combat modules.