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KYIV, Ukraine – The Ukrainian government launched a new initiative last week to streamline and promote innovation in drones and other technologies critical to the war with Russia.
Through the initiative, dubbed BRAVE1, the government hopes to bring government, military and private sector developers working on defense issues to a technology cluster that will benefit the Ukrainian battlefield.
“Given the enemy next to us and its size, we definitely need to develop military technology to be able to defend ourselves,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
Fedorov told The Associated Press before last week’s announcement that the government had allocated more than $2.7 million to support projects that could help Ukraine overcome the 14-month conflict.
“Nowadays there are many people on the battlefield from the younger generation who can work with technology and they are looking for them,” he said.
The name of the Defense Tech Cluster is a reference to Ukraine’s bravery in the war started by Russia, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said during the event.
He said that Ukraine is striving for independence through its military capabilities and BRAVE1 could be a step towards achieving this. Earlier this month, Reznikov met in Germany with defense chiefs from around the world to coordinate more military aid to Ukraine.
“We don’t have to depend on it [good] The will of our allies said, “We must pour resources into our freedom so that we can defend ourselves.”
The event was held in an underground parking lot and showcased some of the Ukrainian technologies used on the battlefield, such as unmanned ground vehicles, robotic systems for landmines and unmanned aerial systems.
Both Ukraine and Russia often use unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance and attacks. Russia often uses Iran’s long-range Shahed-136 explosive drones to damage Ukrainian power plants and instill fear in civilians. Ukraine’s government launched a crowdfunding campaign last year to help build a “drone army” with foreign donors.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed head of the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, recently reported that the Russian military had destroyed a Ukrainian drone that attempted to attack the port, and another had exploded. Russia in 2010
Oleksandr Kwiatkovsky, a board member of Aerorozvida, a robotics and net-centric military innovation nonprofit, sees BRAVE1 as a platform for the military to communicate its electronic warfare needs and provide strategic support to the military technology industry.
“Even one year is a very short time to produce a product,” he said.
However, Kwiatkowski is not sure that such a platform will create significant progress in the development of war technologies.
“Even if it does, it will be minimal.” “Few things could be more effective than the encouragement of tanks near Kiev,” he said, referring to how Ukrainian troops prevented Russian troops from storming the capital in the first weeks of the war.
Fevzi Ametov, a Ukrainian soldier and the founder of Drone.ua, a company specializing in drones, says that businesses and their engineers are already trying to incorporate feedback from military personnel into their products.
“Without any attack drones right now, it’s like walking into a minefield blind, and you don’t know what to expect,” he said. “Technologies help save lives.”
According to Ametov, Ukraine is investing more resources in military technology than it did before the Russian invasion. The review was based on the various models of drones the unit had tested.
“We always have something new to test to see if it’s important to our class or not,” he said.
Hailing from Crimea, Ametov fights on the front lines of the Ukrainian army while leading his company, which will play an advisory role in the BRAVE1 initiative.
His company distributes a portable anti-drone gun that uses radio signals to jam and take down drones. According to Ametov, Ukrainian forces are using hundreds of $12,000 guns, which can last up to 30 minutes on a single fully charged battery, “and more and more are coming.”
“Each side is trying to use as many drones as possible,” Ametov said. “This is the only way to protect yourself from drones when you stay in place.”
Currently, Ukraine and Russia have equal capabilities to employ drones, Fedorov said. But when faced with an enemy with more troops and weapons, Ukraine must strive for technological superiority, he said.
“No matter how eager you are to protect your country, you cannot do it physically,” the minister said.
“That’s why it’s important to build institutions that channel the energy of all volunteers, businesses and active citizens into tangible, big projects that will last for decades,” he said.
FILE – A Ukrainian soldier launches an unmanned aerial vehicle in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, April 9, 2023. The Ukrainian government launched an unmanned aerial vehicle in an area of heavy fighting with Russian troops to facilitate and promote innovations in drones and others. Bringing together government, military and private sector developers working on defense technologies critical to the country’s fight against Russia. (AP Photo/Libkos, File)[ad_2]
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