Germany and Ukraine to jointly produce long-range drones
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (right) and Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov during a joint press conference (Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
Germany and Ukraine plan to deepen defense cooperation, including the joint development and production of drones with various operational ranges, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said during a joint press conference with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on May 11, according to Suspilne.
Pistorius said Ukrainian and German companies are already implementing joint projects in the field of unmanned technologies.
The cooperation includes the development and production of drones with different ranges — from systems capable of flying less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) to long-range drones with an operational radius of up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles).
According to Pistorius, Berlin will continue supporting Ukraine’s defense sector and expand cooperation in unmanned systems technologies.
Germany also plans to join Brave1, Ukraine’s defense innovation platform that supports military technology developers and allows rapid battlefield testing of new systems, Pistorius said.
According to Ukrinform, Pistorius and Fedorov signed a letter of intent in Kyiv to launch Brave Germany, a joint initiative aimed at developing defense technologies and supporting innovative startups.
Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on May 11 for talks on “expanding cooperation in the defense industry with Ukraine.”
The German defense minister had previously highlighted strong global demand for Ukrainian defense technologies and their growing role in driving innovation across Europe.
“Ukrainian technologies are currently in demand worldwide as innovative solutions. We must also keep these developments in focus,” Pistorius said earlier.
He also stressed that cooperation with Ukraine helps Germany strengthen its own industrial capacity and technological capabilities.
In addition, Pistorius emphasized the need to reinforce Europe’s defense-industrial base, arguing that security and defense capabilities directly affect economic development and prosperity.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Feb. 8 that Ukraine had officially opened weapons exports and would establish 10 Ukrainian export centers across Europe this year.
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