Ukrainian Council of Arms Manufacturers names Germany and Denmark as “main pillars” of cooperation
Foreign defense companies, for which the experience of potential partners is very important, are very cautious about starting cooperation with Ukrainian arms manufacturers, but steps towards each other are yielding good results.
This was stated in a comment to Ukrinform by Ihor Fedirko, executive director of the Ukrainian Arms Manufacturers Council.
"It is difficult to find a partner because our companies are very young, ranging from 1 to 3 years old, while in Germany, companies such as Diehl, Daimler Truck, and Rheinmetall have been around for decades. It is not a matter of mistrust, but rather a difference in approaches, organizational structure, and standards. In other words, we simply do not speak the same language of maturity: we are young, ambitious, fast, we need things done quickly, while old Europe and old large companies say: don't rush, we will take a look, assess the situation, talk to this and that person, talk to our government. These are understandable processes for them, but we cannot do that," Fedirko explained.
He noted that Ukrainians are living in wartime, while Europeans are still living in peacetime, and all their laws and regulations reflect this. Ukrainian manufacturers are constantly on the move, looking for new solutions and putting pressure on their partners because time is short. But Europeans are not used to working this way; their governments simply have their hands tied and cannot act so radically. Fedirko recalled that one of the representatives of the German Ministry of Defense, in a conversation with him, noted that in Ukraine, compared to Germany, there is “virtually no regulation of the defense sector,” while in Germany, even the slightest deviation is unacceptable.
At the same time, the representative of the Ukrainian Council of Arms Manufacturers noted that “patterns are breaking” in both directions, cooperation is growing, and the parties have something to offer each other. In his opinion, we need to learn to be companies in the European and democratic world in general, with standards, certifications, and process settings. “Therefore, we have a lot to learn, and they have a lot to borrow from our experience. This is a win-win strategy,” said Fedirko.
According to him, Ukrainians want to bring more innovative products that have already been tested, primarily various types of drones: ground robotic complexes, aircraft-type drones, bombers, and FPV. Europeans need to understand that they need to change their doctrines and incorporate innovations that have already been tested in Ukraine into their doctrines.
According to the executive director, the Ukrainian Council of Armament Manufacturers receives requests from foreign companies to “verify” domestic enterprises. He said that Germany remains our main “donor and cooperator,” at least in Europe, and that the best cases of cooperation in the defense sector are with Germany. Germany and Denmark are the “main pillars” of cooperation, the expert noted, recalling that Denmark was the first country to establish such cooperation.
However, Germany's Quantum Systems and Ukraine's Frontline Robotics began their first negotiations at approximately the same time as Fire Point in Denmark, but the latter progressed more quickly, and the Danish political leadership very quickly made numerous changes to laws and regulations so that Fire Point could operate in the country, Fedirko noted.
According to him, the creation of a joint venture between Quantum Systems and Frontline Robotics proves that cooperation with Ukraine is possible and will result in a product based on European standards and the manufacturing culture and experience gained in Ukraine.
The expert also noted that the German Ministry of Defense has decided to purchase drones for its own needs and, realizing that it cannot rely on just one product, is looking for partners to create ground-based robotic complexes, automatic systems, and AI solutions, so it is actively investing in companies operating in the Ukrainian market. The first of these was Frontline, which has a fairly innovative product and is developing very quickly. In particular, Fedirko noted that Frontline has ground-based robotic systems, FPV drones, and more.
As reported, on December 15, documents were signed in Berlin on the creation of the first joint defense enterprise, Quantum Frontline Industries, as part of the new initiative “Building with Ukraine,” which paves the way for the first industrial production of Ukrainian drones in Europe.
Quantum Systems (Germany) and Frontline Robotics (Ukraine) will build Europe's first fully automated industrial production line of unmanned aerial vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the joint venture. 100% of the systems manufactured in Germany will be supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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