Ukrainian defense companies are striving to form partnerships with European counterparts to jointly produce weapons and military equipment, aiming for self-sufficiency while also utilizing Western technology. This initiative comes amidst Ukraine’s ongoing struggle against Russian invasion, where it sees value in leveraging its combat experience to modernize and enhance future defense architectures.Â
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Key Points:Â
- Ukraine is seeking to ensure a qualitative advantage in future conflicts by learning from its current experiences, as expressed by Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
- The Ministry of Defence has established an experts group with the aim of developing Ukraine’s own defense industry. Much of the production is planned to occur abroad due to the current conflict zones within Ukraine.
- Ukraine’s state-run defense group Ukroboronprom has announced joint projects with several NATO member states to produce armored vehicles, missile launchers, ammunition and other weapons. The projects will use both existing and newly created capacities in safe locations.
- Last month, Germany’s Rheinmetall and Ukroboronprom signed an agreement for repairing tanks, with the possibility of manufacturing up to 400 of Rheinmetall’s Panther KF51 main battle tanks per year in a new facility in Ukraine.
- Ukrainian defense companies are also working to establish industry ties with Poland and Czechia, with discussions around producing 125mm tank shells and possibly supplying Ukraine’s air force with Czech L-159 advanced light combat aircraft.
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