(Adnkronos) – Ukraine has a surplus in defense production – notably in the production of drones, ammunition, and other types of equipment – which for some systems reaches up to 50 percent. It is therefore organizing to export these capabilities on a large scale, having already signed ten-year cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, and with 11 countries queuing up for similar deals, for the supply, production, or joint development of systems already battle-tested and continuously updated, depending on developments at the front.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has developed a ‘Drone Agreement’ which is then adapted to each individual entity to which he proposes it, from the Gulf countries, with whom he has forged cooperation agreements with a mission organized very quickly immediately after the start of the war, to European countries, a step that has infuriated Moscow. These days, Russia is indeed denouncing, and this refers to, the increasing involvement of European countries in Ukraine.
Industrial production in the defense sector has increased fiftyfold since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. From one to 50 billion dollars. Hundreds of new companies have been established. The first rule imposed in this framework of export acceleration is that orders from Kyiv’s forces must always take precedence. Only the surplus, therefore, is to be exported.
The National Security and Defense Council, in coordination with partners, will define the framework for cooperation from time to time, to ensure, and this is the second golden rule of Kyiv’s effort, that technologies and systems do not fall into Russian hands. While necessary export controls will be maintained, bureaucratic hurdles will be minimized.
The Drone Agreement is a distinct format applied to partner countries in three regions: the Middle East and Gulf, Europe, and the Caucasus. It is an agreement that implies the supply of a complete system, including drones designed to repel massive attacks, air defense systems, and electronic capabilities. The format includes at least ten different weapon systems and related export contracts.
The agreement also provides for training and the sharing of operational experience, particularly for the protection of civilian and critical infrastructure. Within the framework of this agreement, the possibility of joint productions is included, with the sharing of manufacturing and funding, including research and development.
