Ukraine's Defense Ministry launches licensed production of FPV drones for Armed Forces

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has initiated a pilot project for the licensed production of modern FPV drones at a state-owned enterprise, the department's press service announced.

A private developer granted the license to produce UAVs at one of the state-owned enterprises under the ministry’s management. The drones will be supplied to Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

Once production technology is refined and scaled, the enterprise will be able to independently participate in tenders organized by the Defense Procurement Agency and other potential buyers.

"The experience has been positive. By integrating the state into the production chains, we have gained a clear understanding of the production cost and our competitive advantages in this market. This will enhance the quality of the final products by fostering ongoing competition," said Ivan Havryliuk, First Deputy Minister of Defense.

The ministry’s defense innovation experts have developed a roadmap for organizing similar production lines with other unmanned aerial system (UAS) developers. This initiative aims to significantly increase production capacity for scaling up drone manufacturing.

"We are prepared to enhance cooperation with private companies. We have a set of template documents and a step-by-step guide for launching similar UAS production lines at other state-run enterprises," said Yurii Taraniuk, head of the Defense Innovation Directorate.

FPV drones have already downed at least 850 Russian reconnaissance drones, significantly bolstering Ukraine’s air defense. Local developers are now creating specialized anti-air drones, which are being tested alongside foreign models.