Ukraine is negotiating in Washington an unprecedented agreement with the Trump government on the exchange of Drones technology, in exchange for compensation, in a move marking a new phase in military cooperation with the US.
In particular, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, a Ukrainian team is in Washington this week to form a historic agreement with the Trump government, which will predict that Kiev will share with the United States the technology of drones that has been tested on the battlefield, or by the other.
The agreement, supported by President Trump and Ukrainian President Voludimir Zelenski, if completed, will be a milestone in the security relationship between Washington and Kiev.
For years, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been receiving US weapons, more recently through an agreement under which the Trump government is selling weapons to European countries that donate them to Kiev.
Under the new agreement, Ukraine will use its extensive experience in the production and use of drones against the Russian army. A Ukrainian delegation, led by Undersecretary of Defense Sergi Boev, launched the third multi -day talks in Washington with Pentagon and State Department officials.
Completion of the detailed agreement, which could be worth billions of dollars, will probably take months, according to a US government official.
Although US companies build some advanced drones, Ukrainians have a clear lead in the mass production of cheap unmanned aircraft (UAVs), which have proven to be particularly effective on the battlefield.
“We need Ukrainian Drones technology in the US,” said William McNalti, a partner at the US investment fund UA1, who has invested in eight Ukrainian defense companies.
Possible agreement is also political, as Kiev seeks to consolidate his links with Donald Trump, whose support in Ukraine was at times unstable. Trump is increasingly annoyed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to intensify attacks on Ukraine, while rejecting White House calls for negotiations, which paved the way for greater US-Ukraine cooperation.
The deal on drones is shaped as part of a wider package, including a separate “big deal”, in which Ukraine hopes to buy tens of billions of dollars from the US, President Zelenski said on Saturday. Kiev hopes that this package will also include large range rockets to expand its ability to hit Russia.
The deal underlined also how much US defense industry can benefit from Ukraine, which has pioneers in new technologies and tactics, but also in rapid integration of innovations into the changing battlefield. As the War in Ukraine rewrites the rules of modern war, governments, investors and companies in Europe are already rushing to exploit Ukrainian drones technology.
A US government official said the deal on drones is planned to allow US forces to take advantage of Ukraine’s competitive advantage in Uavs. In turn, Kiev seeks to obtain advanced US weapons, such as the Patriot anti -aircraft system, the Himars for GMLRS rockets and ATACMS rockets, as well as the US Air Force multi -role fighters.
Ukraine use by Atacms against targets inside Russia is under the control of the Pentagon and, since Donald Trump took over the presidency, no one has been launched against Russian territories. Trump government officials have said they are now considering Kiev’s request for large -scale US weapons and have already approved the provision of information on Ukrainian blows to energy targets within Russia, which are mainly carried out by drones.
According to persons who know the talks, the US and Ukraine are considering various mechanisms to facilitate the transfer of drones technology from Kiev to Washington. These include agreements under which Ukrainian companies will provide technology and original drones to US companies in exchange for use rights or the establishment of a Ukrainian subsidiary in the US for drones production. Another option is to buy Drones from Ukraine on behalf of the US Army.
In April, the Trump government and Kiev reached an agreement that gave Ukraine to the US. However, as the rights of exploitation of mineral resources are mainly under state control, the negotiation has proven to be easier.
On the contrary, any agreement on drones technology should ensure access to technologies and systems by private Ukrainian drones. In Ukraine, more than 300 drones operate in Ukraine, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
One key issue to be addressed is the extensive use of Chinese components in Ukrainian drones. US companies that will acquire Ukrainian drones or technologies cannot use Chinese components due to the need for secure supply chains.
Since the beginning of Moscow’s invasion, Ukraine has turned to drones to cause blows to the largest and best -equipped Russian forces. Since then, the country has pioneered the use of cheap drones First Person View (FPV), Nautical Drones and Artificial Intelligence in this area, including innovations.
Last year alone, Ukraine produced more than two million drones.
Ukraine can manufacture its drones with 20% to 30% of Western manufacturers’ costs, said William McNalti of the UA1 Fund. According to analysts, this know -how in mass production of cheap drones is exactly what the west needs most.
In an effort to reach the deal, US officials will also reap the benefits of a Ukrainian Drones industry, which Washington has been quietly supported for years. Following the failed Ukrainian counterattack in 2023, then US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan commissioned a series of information analyzes, which concluded that the development of small and large -scale drones would greatly strengthen the Ukrainian army.
The Biden government approved an additional $ 1.5 billion for UAV and Ukraine’s UAV programs, including the provision of critical non -built components. Then President Joe Biden informed Zelenski on the extent of the effort at a meeting in Washington in September 2024.
“We thought it would have a strategic impact for Ukraine to have a sustainable and mass production of effective domestic production drones,” said David Simer, who was a Director of Ukraine Policy Director at the National Security Council during the Biden government. “Now we have the opportunity to learn from Ukraine’s innovations.”
In Europe, governments and investors have already come to a similar conclusion. In September, the United Kingdom and Kiev announced an agreement on a joint production of Ukrainian drones in Britain. The two sides are already planning the mass production of an unmanned system called Octopus, which inhibits other drones in the air.
Earlier this year, the Danish government signed an agreement with Kiev to help Ukrainian defense companies build drones and other weapons in Denmark.
At the same time, European companies and investors are investing in Ukrainian drones. The German Quantum Systems acquired a 10% share of the Frontline, a Ukrainian company specializing in the construction of autonomous terrestrial and aerial systems, with the right to increase it to 25%. Frontline is looking for a European location for the production of part of its products. “It is about escalating production in a safe environment,” said Nikita Rozkov, a company executive.
Other Ukrainian companies are also considering installing units abroad. Skyeton, manufactured by Raybird, a surveillance drone that, she claims, can operate for more than 28 hours, announced that she is in discussions to open a factory in southern England.
Western governments and companies seek not only Ukrainian technology, but also the data and experience gained on the battlefield.
“Any company does not have a team in Ukraine does not understand today’s conditions on the battlefield for drones and robotic systems,” said Sam Vai, chief executive of SYOS AEROSPACE, manufacturer of dry and sea drones based in New Zealand.
Source :Skai
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