Global tech giants come to Kyiv. Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Boiev has held talks in Kyiv with Axon founder and CEO Rick Smith and head of Dedrone by Axon, Aaditya Devarakonda, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reports.
The integration of Ukrainian military technologies amid Russia’s war of attrition is becoming a key factor in the country’s survival. Ukrainian engineers are implementing real-time reconnaissance systems, artificial intelligence, and robotic unmanned platforms.
The main topic has been the joint fight against enemy UAVs (drones), technology exchange, and scaling production of electronic warfare tools and drone interceptors.
“We are most interested in electronic warfare (EW) technologies and drone interceptors,” says Boiev.
During the meeting, Axon CEO Rick Smith told the Ukrainian officials that “our offer is not about business but about protecting people.”
Axon and Dedrone move to cooperate with Ukrainian manufacturers
Axon is a US leader in public safety, known for TASER stun guns, body cameras, digital platforms, and evidence analysis software, used by police and security agencies in many countries.
Dedrone by Axon specializes in airspace protection from unauthorized drones. Its technology operates in over 50 countries — in prisons, stadiums, airports, and even military units.
Dedrone uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect, track, and neutralize drones. The system integrates data from radars, radio frequencies, and video cameras into a unified C2 platform — either local or cloud-based.
Ukraine as a hub for new military solutions
Kyiv already cooperates with domestic companies to ramp up production of drone countermeasure systems, but according to Boiev, they “continue searching for new solutions.”