Several Western defense firms have announced new partnerships with Ukrainian counterparts during a defense industry forum in Kyiv last week.
American drone manufacturer AeroVironment signed an agreement with a Ukrainian company to locally produce its Switchblade 600 loitering munition.
The Switchblade 600 is an anti-armor weapon capable of striking targets up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) away.
Production will take place in phases, starting with the initial transfer of subsystem components to Ukraine for assembly, followed by eventual full-scale production.
The joint venture is subject to US government approval, which typically takes about nine months.
AeroVironment announced the development a day after the Franco-German defense group KNDS announced a Ukrainian subsidiary in Kyiv.
Ammunition Production in Ukraine
In another such deal, Ukrainian Armor announced a partnership with Czechoslovak Group for the local production of 155mm shells.
Under the agreement, the Czech holding company will provide components and technology to Ukrainian Armor for the production of NATO-standard artillery rounds.
Licensing is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with production slated to begin in early 2025, according to Militarnyi.
A total of 100,000 artillery rounds are expected to be produced by Czechoslovak Group in 2025, with partial production taking place in Ukraine, the outlet quoted the chief of Ukrainian Armor, Vladyslav Belbas, as saying.
Made-in-Ukraine M777s
Meanwhile, BAE Systems also said that it is in talks with a Ukrainian firm to begin repairing M77 155mm howitzers in Ukraine, with plans to eventually shift production there.
“There are several great Ukrainian companies that have greatly impressed BAE Systems,” Militarnyi quoted the general director of the BAE Systems unit in Ukraine, Christian Siar, as saying.
“And as I said, we’re working with one of them to start maintenance. This is our strategy. We would like to move the maintenance of the M777 to Ukraine and then hopefully build them here as well.”
