Ukraine-made drones, navigation software primed for first exports

MILAN — Companies in Ukraine’s government-backed defense technology cluster Brave1 have identified four weapon categories deemed fit for export to Western allies as part of the country’s gradual easing of its arms transfer ban.

Speaking at the International Defense Industry Forum in Kyiv earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained that while much of this process is still being determined, it will entail a partial and regulated lift of restrictions limited to systems in surplus.

In an interview with the Ukrainian government-run United24 media, a Brave1 representative flagged naval drones, drone navigation software technologies, turrets, and unmanned ground vehicles as export-ready classes of weapons.

Specifically, the Magura-style of unmanned surface vessels are being primed for international markets.

“Their high export potential stems from simple economics: warships are financial liabilities – a fleet of unmanned naval drones is inherently low-cost and requires minimal maintenance, yet it can execute the same critical functions,” the Brave1 representative was quoted as saying.

The Magura V5 was on display at several trade shows over the last two years as part of the Ukrainian industry footprint at these events. One of its latest variants was also tested during NATO’s largest unmanned systems military exercise in Portugal last month.

Ukrainian officials hope the sale of excess equipment will allow Kyiv to obtain more money to invest back into its own production capabilities.

Another technology identified for potential export entails communication systems for drones, resilient in GPS-denied environments, manufactured locally by companies such as Swarmer and Norda Dynamics.

Multi-purpose unmanned robots also received Brave1’s stamp of foreign-market eligibility, with Ukraine offering 100 variants. Ground robots have served a multitude of roles throughout the war, from logistics to attack robots.

Zelenskyy has previously floated the broad idea that exports could be divided into three different cooperation frameworks: those bound for the United States, Europe, and elsewhere.

Ukraine-made drones, navigation software primed for first exports

C4ISRNet