EU, Ukraine to hold first Drone Alliance meeting in Brussels
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Brussels to host first meeting of EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance (Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
Ukraine and the European Union will hold the first Drone
Alliance meeting on Sept. 11 to set out joint steps for developing drone
technologies and counter-drone capabilities, Euractiv
reported, citing two industry sources.
A European Commission spokesperson said European
Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius would attend, along with
representatives of 19 European and nine Ukrainian companies working in drone
technology.
Participants will include ORQA, Indra Group, Fincantieri, WB
Group, Destinus, Delair, Quantum Systems, Skyfall Industries, Greentech
Harvest, Deviro, Vyriy Industry and ATHLON AVIA.
One industry source was skeptical about the meeting’s prospects,
suggesting it could amount to just “another meeting.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed
creating the alliance last year. The EU sees it as a way to accelerate the
development of unmanned systems and counter-drone capabilities, particularly
amid growing threats to member states’ airspace.
At the meeting, European Commission representatives also
want to focus on how Ukraine’s drone ecosystem operates and how the government
works with the defense industry.
Ukraine-EU defense agreements
On July 15, reports said Ukraine and the European Union had
agreed on a Drone Deal aimed at developing unmanned technologies. European
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the partnership calls for
jointly applying Ukraine’s battlefield experience and expanding drone
production in Europe.
On July 1, the government approved the first transparent
mechanism for controlled exports of Ukrainian weapons and defense technologies
to partner countries. Then-Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Defense Minister
Mykhailo Fedorov said the new procedure would apply during martial law under
the Drone Deal framework.
On July 2, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and
Defense Council Rustem Umerov said six agreements had been signed under the
Drone Deal framework. More than 20 other countries are working to join the
model.
The Guardian reported that Ukraine hopes to sign major
defense agreements with at least seven NATO countries by the end of the year.
This indicates that Ukraine could become not only a recipient but also a
supplier of military equipment and expertise.
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