BRAVE1 Newsletter #2
Newsletter by BRAVE1 team covering Ukrainian defense tech ecosystem, global trend of the sphere, and reports.
Content
UA Defense tech ecosystem
Ukraine streamlines drone munition production
The Cabinet Ministers of Ukraine approved a resolution on July 21 to simplify bureaucratic procedures for faster production of ammunition for drones. This will allow domestic producers to expand their capabilities and meet the needs of the state's security and defence forces faster."
Ukraine launched the Procurement Review program together with NATO
The Minister explained that within the Procurement Review program, NATO specialists will conduct a resource provision analysis within 9-10 months.There will also be an analysis of the procurement of weapons and military equipment, aid, and training of people, and a possibly improved modernized system will be proposed.
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine launched the Cluster for Information Resilience
More Than 20 UAVs of Ukrainian Production Are Already in Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Olexiy Reznikov, Ministry of Defense: “For the first time, we have gathered 82 Ukrainian manufacturers, purely national, who agreed to develop. More than 20 brand new drones have already been adopted, which are very successfully destroying orcs and their equipment today."?
In total, there are more than 100 companies that manufacture drones on the market. 40 Ukrainian drones have already passed the commissioning procedure and are receiving state contracts.
Ukraine Appoints New Defense Industry Chief Amid the War, Entrusts Him With Three Main Duties
Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Alexander Kamyshin notes that the new Ukroboronprom director has been entrusted with three main tasks:
Delta system has proven its compatibility with Link 16
Ukraine successfully tested its own national Delta situational awareness system at NATO's annual Coalition Warrior Interoperability eXploration, eXperimentation, eXamination, eXercise (CWIX).
Delta confirmed the ability to exchange information according to the Link16 protocol common in NATO countries, which potentially makes it possible to receive data from F-16 fighters and other types of modern foreign weapons. Delta has confirmed interoperability with 15 systems from 10 countries, including 3 systems, developed by NATO.
New pickups boost drone strike companies || Mykhailo Fedorov
Drones at sea and on land, artificial intelligence and the Javelin simulator: how military tech developments are bringing the victory of Ukraine closer
"Ukrainian defense innovations are booming: during the first 2 months since the launch of the Defense Tech cluster BRAVE1 more than 250 projects were submitted via the portal, and more than 100 passed military expertise by the General Staff of Defense Forces”
Ukrainian Bohdana self-propelled howitzer is finally adopted
Sources of the publication in the ministry also confirmed that the Bohdana self-propelled howitzer was accepted into service without repeated state tests “according to a simplified procedure”.
Dignitas Fund & Victory Drones & Brave1: In Dnipro, the conference of Ukrainian drone manufacturers brought together more than 20 companies. Next Kharkiv and Odesa
Dnipro city launched FPV drone production program in the region
Army of Drones: Ukrainian developers received $3 million to create weapons against drones
At the end of June, a meeting of the Ukrainian military and hundreds of engineers and inventors took place in Kyiv, the main topic of which was how best to destroy cheap Russian kamikaze drones.
Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin: The first 100 days in the ministry
Have first positive results: in June only we produced some #iron_things times more then for the whole 2022.”
"Behind every military victory is an IT solution." Vitaliy Deinega gave the first interview
Vitaliy Deinega, Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformations, and Digitalization of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, about the game-changing defense tech solutions for the army:
"Such developments [like Kropyva] give us an asymmetric advantage, thanks to which we do not simply lose to the enemy's total superiority in shells, barrels, and so on - we drove them out of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, and now we are trying to push them out of the Zaporizhzhya region."
Makers in Defense of Ukraine: A Year Of Fighting Back With Innovation
There are now about 18 makerspaces across Ukraine, many which have struggled for funding during the war. A makerspace in Kyiv was hit by a rocket in November 2022; we lost equipment such as 3D printers but no one was hurt when the explosion hit in the early morning hours.?
In Ukraine launched the first cyber range with a simple interface in Ukrainian and more than 150 scenarios
In June, during cybersecurity competition #IncidentResponseDays2023 by National Cybersecurity Coordination Center (NCSCC) with participation of 19 teams, 100 participants, 6 hours of training on the safe use of AI technologies, digital forensics and cybersecurity conducted on a new generation Ukrainian cyber training ground by Cyber Unit Technologies - CyberUnit.Tech , Dr. Yegor Aushev
Ukrainian Fund will finance technical solutions for demining - military expert Serhiy Zgurets
A hobby turned into a military simulator business. Now, it saves lives of Ukrainian soldiers
RPS-7 Inhul is an innovative radio-electronic reconnaissance station manufactured in Ukraine.?
It can detect enemy radars, air defense systems, and aircraft from a long distance. Obtaining this information is critical for our artillery, which hunts down russian military equipment. The station is currently being tested before it can be officially supplied to the UA army. https://twitter.com/oleksiireznikov/status/1677959009171656706?s=20?
International stakeholders in Ukraine
Rheinmetall will build and repair tanks in Ukraine, says CEO
Germany’s biggest arms maker will also train Ukrainians to maintain the tanks and other armored vehicles made in the factory, which will be located in the western part of the country, CEO Armin Papperger told CNN in an exclusive interview on Thursday.
Ukrainian defense industry to cooperate with CZUB Praha and Sellier & Bellot
The Czech Republic proposed further cooperation in the following six areas
Ex-Google CEO, Co-Founder of Schmidt Futures Eric Schmidt visited Kyiv and met with Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister for Innovations, Development of Education, Science, and Technologies – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, to discuss further cooperation in innovation sphere and defense tech
Canada to help create infrastructure for Western fighter jets in Ukraine
https://mil.in.ua/en/news/canada-to-help-create-infrastructure-for-western-fighter-jets-in-ukraine/?
Setbacks and success: Two drone makers forge a footprint in Ukraine
?European drone manufacturers with plans to build production sites in Ukraine are reporting diverging orders, with Latvia-based Atlas now facing several delays as Turkish Baykar Technologies ’s venture is moving on schedule, according to both companies’ chief executives.
ICEYE tests its latest technology in Ukraine
Finland's ICEYE group is currently deploying its new Dwell Imaging Mode system in Ukraine, where the counter-offensive is now in full swing. The system represents a substantial boost for Kyiv's satellite ISR capacity
Global media?
Atlantic Council : Ukraine’s tech sector is playing vital wartime economic and defense roles
BRAVE1 has dramatically cut down the amount of time and paperwork required for private sector tech companies to begin working directly with the military; according to Ukraine’s defense minister, this waiting period has been reduced from two years to just one-and-a-half months.
Forbes : ‘No Comparison In World History’: Ukraine’s Comms Security Chief Shares Takes On Drone War
Brig. Gen. Yurii Yurii Shchyhol , Head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine: lAt the start of the full-scale invasion, we had approximately 30 companies that mass-produced drones in Ukraine. As of today, that number has tripled — around 90 companies work in this field now. It must be understood that each company produces not just a single series of drones, but anywhere from two to five varieties. UAV production is upscaling very quickly.”
Business Insider : Drone boats give Ukraine a cheap, 'asymmetric' edge against Russia and may have just damaged a key bridge
Samuel Bendett , a research analyst with the Center for Naval Analyses' Russia Studies Program: “The cost of manufacturing and fielding these vehicles is considerably less — many magnitudes less — than the cost of trying to defend against them and just basic resource allocation in trying to interdict and destroy these assets. So again, the cost of defending against such vehicles falls on the defender — a single ship, a fleet, or an entire country — while the cost of manufacturing them is considerably smaller."
Reuters : Ground vehicles are the new frontier in Ukraine's drone war
After the role of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Ukraine war expanded dramatically since russia invaded 16 months ago, attention is turning to ground drones that developers say could be the next frontier in military innovation.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ground-vehicles-are-new-frontier-ukraines-drone-war-2023-07-13/?
The Australian Financial Review : Ukraine provides ideal ‘testing ground’ for Western weaponry
Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov: “It’s like a constant pendulum. This is a war of technology.” “Kyiv’s Western allies can actually see if their weapons work, how efficiently they work and if they need to be upgraded. For the military industry of the world, you can’t invent a better testing ground.?
“Maintenance contracts had recently been inked with the UK defence company Babcock International Group , France’s KNDS France Systems, which produces artillery, and Germany’s Rheinmetall – best known for making the Leopard tanks that Ukraine’s forces have recently started using.”
Financial Times : Silicon Valley VCs rush into defence technology start-ups
”The Ukraine war has been fought through a combination of traditional trench warfare and high-tech systems such as satellite communications, data intelligence and autonomous drones.”
领英推荐
“Investment in military tech start-ups is booming as the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions with China lead to growing confidence that the US government will give lucrative contracts to Silicon Valley companies making cutting-edge defence systems.” “US venture capitalists have agreed more than 200 defence and aerospace deals in the first five months of this year worth nearly $17bn — more than the sector raised during the entire of 2019, according to data from PitchBook .” “According to interviews with more than 15 investors and founders, this wariness has given way to a belief that start-ups are finally in line to take a significant share of the US’s mammoth defence budget, which has grown over two decades to reach a record $886bn for 2024.”
Forbes: Ukraine Beefs Up Its Heavy Bomber Drone Fleet
Defense Express: Ukraine Entices Global Defense Industry Giants to Breathe Life Into Local Defense Industry, Ensure Defense Capability
Pavel Verkhniatskyi , the Director of a corporate intelligence company COSA Intelligence Solutions : “All the invaluable practical experience in the development and production of UAVs and automated systems Ukraine has gained throughout the war will hopefully continue to be utilized in a separate segment. Close cooperation with Lockheed Martin , BAE Systems , Rheinmetall, and other arms and security giants brings with it the reputation, economic advantages, as well as the political and security support of their countries of origin. In short, now is the time for Ukrainian defense companies to seize the new opportunities and build ties with the leaders of the international market.”
The Wall Street Journal : The Future of War Has Come in Ukraine: Drone Swarms
The innovations that have led to Kyiv’s remarkable successes against Russia will change combat dramatically.?
Eric Schmidt : “Naval drones will take the same concepts into the sea, converging like a shoal of small torpedoes at the waterline of targeted ships. Land-based drones will clear obstacles, demine fields and eventually act as remote machine guns and other weapons.”
Can Drones Decide the War? How Ukraine is Building an Army of Drones to Fight Russia
Drones have changed how we fight wars forever, and the Ukrainian drone industry is probably the fastest-growing worldwide. For rare insight into some new cutting-edge technology, watch Talking Tactics.
WIRED : Rebuilding Ukraine Is an Act of Resistance
The tech sector has played a vital role in the war effort: turning plowshares into swords; converting civilian drones into weapons; repurposing skills to turn coders into cyberwarriors; and creating platforms and apps to source, fund, connect.
WIRED: The Ukraine War Shows the US Military-Industrial Complex Isn’t Battle Ready
Building smart, rather than big, systems, and trusting smaller, more innovative companies, might just be a way to fight wars without breaking the bank. It’s an approach for which the US may look to Ukraine for inspiration. While they still need Patriot Missiles and high-tech artillery, in underground warrens and retrofit manufacturing facilities across the country, Ukranians are using 3D printers and CNC lathe machines to weaponize consumer-grade drones with cameras and aftermarket drop kits.
CNN : From ‘brain death’ to innovator, the Ukraine war has transformed NATO
Reuters : Sea drones and the counteroffensive in Crimea
Bloomberg News : Ukraine Has Caught Up With Russia’s Tank Numbers, Data Signal
According to Oryx , which records only losses it can confirm, 2,082 Russian tanks have been destroyed, damaged, abandoned or captured since the start of the war in 2022. Moscow began with 3,417 tanks available.?
United24 Media : Naval Forces of Ukraine: Defeating Russia’s Largest Fleet
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia believed it had completely obliterated Ukraine’s Naval Forces. However, what ensued was what experts worldwide referred to as the humiliation of Russia’s largest fleet: the sinking of the flagship Moskva, the liberation of Snake Island, and the successful Ukrainian operations on water, land, and in the air.
Intelligence Online : Kyiv makes more use of incubators to localise its defence sector
“This new initiative resembles a project set up in April by the influential Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, with the support of five other government agencies - including the Ministry of Defence. The BRAVE1 task force aims to support the numerous Ukrainian technology start-ups that have been redirecting their production towards military uses since February 2022.
Interviews BRAVE1
3 months after the launch of the Ukrainian Defense Tech cluster BRAVE1:
Brave1. How Ukrainian defense tech cluster works + Nataliia Kushnerska || "До збро?!"
"The first projects that are currently undergoing the procedure for admission to operation are unmanned robotic systems. We generally understand that these are very important projects and they are now the focus of Brave1's attention as well as radio electronic warfare.”
Key changemakers of technological war
Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister for Innovations, Development of Education, Science and Technologies – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine: “Three components are critical in today's network-centric warfare: communications, situational awareness systems, and UAVs.”?
Ukraine will be a leader in defense technology, says deputy minister?
Alex Bornyakov says many cyber companies are testing out their products in Ukraine.
Before the war, Ukraine had a large body of IT professionals. How the "tech people" got involved in supporting their own military
Interview with Nataliia Kushnerska, Project Lead at Brave1, for Romanian Libertatea about the Ukrainian defense tech cluster, the potential of the sphere and innovations that bring the victory closer. "I am convinced that today technologies can save lives of out defenders & civilians and help us to win. The war takes place on land, on water, in the air, in space, and in the cybersphere. We need a new approach to prevail. And this is where society can help us, which is very creative and innovative."
Powered by Tech, Ukraine is Building a Drone Army
Ukrainian forces are working to gain ground in their counteroffensive operations against russia while maintaining an edge in innovative military technologies. Myroslava Gongadze , Voice of America Eastern Europe bureau chief, visited the production and testing facilities of Ukraine's rapidly developing military tech industry in Ukraine and Poland, including UKRSPECSYSTEMS , Air Res Aviation, Radio Bird.
How Ukraine supports the defense tech projects: cluster Brave1 | Закрив раунд #42
Battlefield Report Card How Ukrainian Forces Under Fire are Winning with Technology
Alex Bornyakov, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for IT industry development, & Brave1’s Project Lead Nataliia Kushnerska spoke at the annual Defense One Tech Summit where explored how today's emerging technologies are shaping the military tactics and national-security strategies of tomorrow.
Alex Bornyakov, deputy minister of Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation: “I think when the war is over, probably a decade from now, Ukraine has the perfect chance to become one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to defense equipment.”
"Smart" weapons: what is the Ukrainian defense industry capable of? New introductions of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Digital Transformation // George (Yegor) Dubynskyi
The Ukrainian army needs more than just drones. Yaroslav Azhnyuk about the new miltech cluster and AI weapons
"When business cooperates with the Ministry of Defense, there is a great opportunity to make quick decisions" - Nataliya Kushnerska?
Saturating the army with UAVs and smart ammunition: Ukrainian innovations in the defense industry | Security Talks
UKRAINE: DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Project Lead Nataliia Kushnerska joined the panel discussion “Ukraine: Defense Technology Innovation and Development“ by U.S.-Ukraine Foundation to present the defense tech cluster BRAVE1
Reports
VoxUkraine :Arming Ukraine today is the best investment into the future of the civilized world, even in the short term
NatSec100 & the Future of National Security Innovation report by Silicon Valley Defense Group
Ukrainian Talent Proves Resilient by Sequoia Capital Atlas
BlueDelta Exploits Ukrainian Government Roundcube Mail Servers to Support Espionage Activities
Recorded Future ’s Insikt Group in collaboration with CERT-UA , has detected a campaign exploiting vulnerable Roundcube servers in Ukraine, cross-correlated with a spearfishing campaign uncovered by Recorded Future’s Network Traffic Intelligence.
International Military Markets | Europe by Forecast International
2023-2032: A Glimpse into the Military Satellite Market
CYBERKNOW: Update 24. 2023 Russia-Ukraine War — Cybertracker. 20 JULY:?
微软 identifies new hacking group controlled by Russian intelligence
A real path to NATO membership: three factors that will guarantee it
“New powerful weapons for the Defense Forces, cutting edge technologies and achievements with the consolidation of Ukraine's tech advantages and truly effective tech limitations of the RF - these are the components of realistic guarantees for today.”