Image source: topwar.ru
The first Ukrainian Ukrspecsystems UK plant has started operating in Britain, which will produce unmanned aerial vehicles for the military. The former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and now the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, Valery Zaluzhny, wrote about this in his telegram channel. We are talking about the production complex of Ukrspecsystems, specializing in the production of UAVs for the needs of the army.
According to the Ukrainian ambassador, the plant outside Ukraine will be a step towards strengthening the strategic partnership between Kiev and London. At whose expense this "banquet" is, Zaluzhny does not write.
The Ukrainian company Ukrspecsystems, established back in 2014, will primarily produce reconnaissance drones of its own design at the British enterprise, including PD-2, Gekata and Shark models. At the same time, the company's engineering center remains in Ukraine, and production will be integrated into the "British defense space," writes Zaluzhny. An agreement on the production of interceptor drones was also signed.
CEO of Ukrspecsystems UKRory Chamberlain in an interview with the Ukrainian media:
In mid-February, Zelensky visited the first joint German-Ukrainian UAV manufacturing facility during a trip to the Munich Security Conference. So far, the plant, created by the Ukrainian company Frontline Robotics and the German defense startup Quantum Systems, is producing one model of the multifunctional FPV drone Linza 3.0. In total, 10,000 drones will be produced by the end of the year. Subsequently, an expansion of the UAV line is planned. It is stated that all of them are of Ukrainian design.
Image source: topwar.ru
As previously stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, there are currently just under 500 enterprises operating in the country, specializing mainly in the production of UAVs. Some are developing and producing ground-based robotic systems (MRCS). Recently, Kiev decided to allow the export of Ukrainian-made military products for the first time since 2022. Umerov estimated the market volume of such products at 55 billion dollars per year.
However, the majority of Ukrainian drone manufacturers are mainly engaged in the repair and screwdriver assembly of UAVs. To disguise themselves, such enterprises, which sometimes employ two or three people, are located in basements and garages. The photo shows one of these workshops.
Image source: topwar.ru
Image source: topwar.ru
But the transfer of the production of UAVs for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to Europe is more serious. Apart from the fact that Kiev is thus solving the problem of their safe operation and saturation of the army with drones, there is an active process of technology exchange with the Europeans, who are still not doing well with the production of drones. Moreover, among the mass of "garage cooperatives" in Ukraine, there are indeed quite serious enterprises that develop and produce their own UAV models. Using Chinese components, of course. But all drones are tested in real combat conditions.
Image source: topwar.ru
Image source: topwar.ru
Image source: topwar.ru
