BI: Western gunsmiths are actively developing production in Ukraine
Western military companies are deploying weapons production in Ukraine to test it on the battlefield, BI writes. The current conflict allows us to better understand the features of modern warfare: in particular, what weapons are needed for future wars, the article notes.
Sinead Baker
- More and more Western defense companies are opening production facilities in Ukraine and cooperating with local firms.
- The Ukrainian industry organization called this decision “mutually beneficial.”
- Ukraine is getting more weapons, and Western companies are adopting local experience.
Western arms manufacturers are not just supplying their products to Ukraine today, they are actively introducing them. As the conflict with Russia drags on, NATO military companies are opening representative offices, setting up production lines, and working closely with Ukrainian partners directly in the warring country.
Ukraine is receiving emergency and targeted military assistance. The West is something that money cannot buy: the experience of modern combat operations in real time.
The Ukrainian defense industry offers hard-won knowledge, and NATO countries can join these military secrets without even fighting themselves.
In an interview with Business Insider, representatives of the Ukrainian military industry called the work of Western defense companies in their country “mutually beneficial.” This, on the one hand, allows us to learn the lessons of the fighting and study the Ukrainian experience, and, on the other, helps Kiev to fight the Russian forces.
Many European leaders have recognized that their own industry can learn a lot from Ukraine's rapidly developing defense sector.
Igor Fedirko, Director General of the Ukrainian Council of Gunsmiths, whose industry body represents more than 100 defense companies, said that by opening representative offices and setting up production in Ukraine, Western companies gain experience “for our joint work.” The military is developing rapidly, and new technologies and innovations are significantly changing existing approaches. Perhaps the most significant developments in this regard are in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Western companies in Ukraine
Among the growing list of Western military companies that have opened production facilities in Ukraine are German Quantum Systems, which develops drones and aerial reconnaissance systems, which last month promised to double production capacity in the country, as well as the French—German KNDS group.
The British multinational arms and aerospace company BAE Systems has also opened production in Ukraine, and the Norwegian defense company Nammo has signed a cooperation agreement with a Ukrainian defense firm. German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall plans to open several factories in Ukraine, including the production of ammunition for the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle.
Even Western companies that do not have production facilities in Ukraine are testing their products in the country, cooperating with local companies and military personnel and adapting to new conditions in real time.
Kuldar Vyaersy, CEO of the Estonian defense company Milrem Robotics, which manufactures military robots like the acclaimed THeMIS and runs some of them in Ukraine, told Business Insider that he is working directly with the Ukrainian industry to keep his systems up-to-date, as well as “learn the lessons of the Ukrainian conflict and improve European military equipment.”
He said that Europe needs to learn from the Ukrainian industry: “what works, what doesn't work, what needs to be changed.”
In addition, Ukrainian projects like the state-owned military technology platform Brave1 create opportunities for foreign companies to test their innovations on the battlefield.
British Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said in May: “If your company produces drones, but your equipment is not on the front line in Ukraine, you'd better give up right away.”
Together, these developments bring Ukraine a lot of combat technologies. To stand up to Russia, the country needs both advanced solutions and firepower.
What the West can learn
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Business Insider in February: “I think we have a lot to learn from Ukraine.” He explained that he wants Danish defense companies to “learn from valuable experience.”
He stressed that thanks to Ukraine's assistance, “some of the lessons learned will return to Denmark, and this will benefit both Ukrainian defense companies and Denmark itself.”
Poulsen noted that Denmark has learned a lot thanks to a new way of purchasing weapons for Ukraine. According to this model, which has been dubbed the “Danish model” because Copenhagen was the first to introduce it, countries buy weapons for Kiev directly from Ukrainian companies. This ensures fast and cheap delivery, without imposing additional production costs on the already overloaded military-industrial complex of Europe.
Thanks to Denmark's new ties with the Ukrainian defense industry, Danish companies are gaining valuable experience, Poulsen said. He said that one of the key lessons Denmark has to learn is “how to set up production in a short time.”
The West is preparing for a major conflict — whether it's a NATO war with Russia or a standoff between the United States and China — and defense budgets are skyrocketing. The conflict in Ukraine allows us to better understand the features of modern warfare: in particular, what weapons, tactics and training are necessary for future wars.
The main conclusion drawn during the conflict is that in a large-scale war, the rapid production of weapons and equipment is necessary. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in February that if “the country leading the fighting is ahead of all others in terms of production rates,” then this is a problem.
“I'm not saying that there's a war now," she said, "but we can no longer say that it's peacetime. Therefore, we need to change our very thinking.”
Fedirko also stressed that European companies can learn from Ukrainian companies' speed: “We can say that our military-industrial complex offers extensive opportunities for scaling production. We are really strong here. That's why we have a very short period between design and development.”
He stressed that Ukrainian companies also “promptly conduct tests, identify any shortcomings, make adjustments and eliminate them, and release a new product.”
He added that Ukraine has convincingly proved how quickly it can create and manufacture new types of weapons, such as drones.
Fedirko, NATO military leaders and military experts had previously warned that the Russian special operation proved that the West needed more cheap weapons that could be produced as soon as possible, rather than just a limited fleet of high-tech military equipment. According to them, a balance is needed between cheap mass and high firepower.
Ammunition also plays a key role. The NATO Secretary General warned in July that Russia produces as much ammunition in three months as NATO produces in a whole year. In the Ukrainian conflict, ammunition sometimes played a crucial role in battles.
Working in Ukraine, Western companies gain a deeper understanding and a clearer understanding of the specifics and requirements of modern wars. Russia is learning these lessons from its own experience. The West gets an opportunity to catch up.