The so-called Brave1 defense technology cluster has awarded 106 grants for drone development in Ukraine, according to Vice Prime Minister and Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in an op-ed published by RBC-Ukraine.
The Brave1 is a government grant funding program for military technology developers, also providing expert support and help developers codify their equipment and resources for military use. The official says the “cluster” was created in April 2023 and registered more than 3,400 new weapon projects from 1,500 manufacturers.
“We have already issued 106 grants to Ukrainian developers totaling 156.3 million hryvnias (about $3.8 million, – Ed.) specifically for drones,” Fedorov stated.
The minister highlighted that Ukraine’s defense tech market has developed from scratch during the full-scale war, beginning with unmanned aerial vehicles.
Drone developers
According to Fedorov, over 500 companies currently manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine, with more than 240 designs already codified for military use. The developments include naval drones, fiber-optic FPV UAVs, large bomber drones, and other aerial equipment.
Fedorov notes that Ukraine must now seek innovations to counter Russian forces.
“These include AI-technology drones, drone swarms, unmanned aircraft with various guidance systems – laser, electronic warfare countermeasures, UAVs for shooting down Shaheds (Russo-Iranian explosive drones use to target Ukrainian cities every night, – Ed.), and development of the Drone Line initiative (integrating drone forces into military structure, – Ed.) recently presented by the president,” the government official affirmed.
Ukrainian forces integrate infantry and drones into a united strike system
More than 200 companies develop land robotic platforms or ground drones, with more than 40 models already “codified under NATO standards.”
“The next goal is for 100% of logistics tasks at the front to be performed by robots. To do this, the government must purchase more developments and deliver them to the front, as well as meet 100% of the army’s needs for NRCs, completely remove humans from logistics and engineering missions, and have robotic systems perform everything,” Fedorov wrote.
140 companies develop electronic warfare equipment, vital for countering Russian drones, with 19 grants issued by Brave1, according to Fedorov.
The program also supports ammunition manufacturers, with 40 producers involved in it.
“There are already more than 170 types of ammunition on the market, and 2.5+ million Ukrainian ammunition was manufactured and delivered to the Security and Defense Forces over the year,” the vice PM stated.
Fedorov says Brave1 has issued first grants for missile development, with “more than 19” companies working on developing domestic missiles.
“War gamification”
Mykhailo Fedorov says the next “game changer” is “the gamification of war. One such case is the bonus system of drone distribution.”
“The system motivates security and defense units by awarding points for destroying enemy targets. The more they destroy, the more drones they receive,” he explained, adding that the initiative was personally backed by the country’s President.
Fedorov emphasized that “gamification ensures transparency, creates competition, and helps assess unit effectiveness.” It also provides “real data on drone demand, as units choose the UAVs they need for specific missions.”
Since launch, participating units grew from 95 in August to 391 in January, while recorded enemy strikes surged from 5,000 to 55,000 – a tenfold increase, according to the official’s article.
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