The Future of Ukraine’s Defense Industrial Base
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Unmanned systems intertwined with AI are irrevocably altering the trajectory of warfare. With autonomous drones, intelligent surveillance, and robotic weaponry, the battlefield is no longer confined to physical spaces but extends into the realms of cyberspace and algorithmic precision. Moreover, war in Ukraine unveiled an intriguing trend—a departure from the monopoly of the big defense industry and governments in producing effective weapons. Commercial sector and civil society produce inexpensive, yet impactful and highly efficient unmanned systems enabled by AI. These innovations, though simple and cheap in design, have proven to make a considerable difference on the battlefield.
With the Russian invasion Ukraine and Russia have entered a race in drone technology and defense AI, striving to maximize the integration of existing weaponry with the benefits of these new technologies and hardware. This competition extends beyond the direct clash between Ukrainian innovation and the Russian military machine. It encompasses evaluating Western weapons' effectiveness against Russian ones, an assessment keenly observed by China, considering its ambitions and potential strategies regarding Taiwan.
This panel highlights the substantial growth in Ukraine's private defense sector, particularly emphasizing advancements in drone technology and defense AI. With approximately 200 private companies currently involved in drone production—significant increase from 30 at the beginning of the war—the discussion will explore how these technologies are enhancing military capabilities. The panelists explore the opportunities for collaboration and co-production between Ukrainian and US defense industries in innovative autonomous systems, explore the demand from the battlefield and Ukrainian government and government policies from both sides to improve and simplify regulation for collaborative projects.
This event took place during the 2024 "Doing Business in Ukraine" conference.
This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.