NATO-standard artillery systems, cheaper FPV drones and homemade air defence systems: Strategic Industries Minister on production in Ukraine

Ukraine has begun producing artillery systems to NATO standards, doubled ammunition production, started manufacturing equipment for hybrid air defence systems, and extended production of drones and thermal imagers.

Source: Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, at a panel discussion at Ukraine House in Davos on 17 January, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine

Quote: "At the moment we are going through the unique experience of transitioning from Soviet heritage standards to NATO standards, and we have now begun producing artillery systems to NATO standards. As the president said, we are already starting to do this. We have managed to double ammunition production. This is something we have to focus on.

Of course any air defence system, if it is new, takes time to develop. […] To avoid having to wait for years, we have created our own homemade air defence. We have combined Soviet components and Western missiles. Or, for instance, we’ve taken Western missiles and Western launchers and combined them with Soviet missiles."

Details: Kamyshin added that drone production in Ukraine is also developing at a rapid pace. "This year [2023 – ed.] proved that we have built this industry. And it has become a visible and important component of the defence industry. We are producing what works in the sky, on the water and under the water. It all works," he said.

Kamyshin noted that the cost of drone production has been cut significantly: the cost of production of FPV drones has dropped from US$1,000 to US$500. The cheapest drones manufactured in Ukraine cost US$300. The production of thermal imagers is also developing.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are also making extensive use of robotised systems on the battlefield.

"We have robot dogs. We have a centre protected by foreign drones – a command centre. And the Russians don’t realise that they’re actually fighting with robots, not with military units," Kamyshin explained.

He added that most manufacturers working in Ukraine's defence industry are private businesses: 190 out of 200 companies are not state-owned.

Background:

• Kamyshin also announced that Ukraine had successfully used a hybrid air defence system on the night of 16-17 January, destroying a Shahed attack drone from 9 km away.

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