The Brave1 defense tech cluster, created at the initiative of the Ukrainian Digital Transformation Ministry in cooperation with defense agencies and the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine a year ago, has significantly accelerated the supply of technologies to the front. Today, more than 1,600 developments and 1,000 producers have already been registered on the platform. The relevant statement was made by the press service of the Digital Transformation Ministry.
“Our main goal is to accelerate the appearance of technological means on the front. The Brave1 team achieves this through the support of projects of various levels of readiness, grant support for promising developments, and the creation of opportunities for the acceleration of developers. In fact, we are a single point of entry for cooperation between defense tech companies, Security and Defense Forces, Government, investors, charitable foundations – all those who combine efforts to win with technologies,” Brave1 Defense Tech Cluster Head Nataliia Kushnerska noted.
The cluster’s focus area covers 12 priority verticals of technology development, defined by the General Staff. They include unmanned aerial vehicles, robotic systems, navigation, artificial intelligence and communications, i.e. everything that is most needed by the military on the front.
The key results are as follows: more than 1,600 developments registered on the Brave1 platform; 60 codified developments that are ready to be purchased or are already being purchased by the state; about 1,000 Ukrainian producers involved.
More and more companies register themselves and their development on the Brave1 platform.
“For example, last summer just about 10 solutions in the field of electronic warfare were registered on the platform. Today, this indicator exceeds 100 developments. Such scale, according to Brave1, indicates the emergence of new markets in the field of defense tech. Such a market has already existed in the field of UAVs, and now the markets of electronic warfare and unmanned ground vehicles have been formed, on which more than 50 and more than 60 Ukrainian companies respectively are operating,” Kushnerska said.
In her words, manufactures can also get grant funding for R&D, development purposes, etc.
“Since last summer, such grants have been issued for 186 developments, totaling more than $3 million. The cluster promises that the amount and number of grants will significantly increase this year. The sum of grants will be raised to 500,000, 1,000,000, 2,000,000, 4,000,000 and 8,000,000,” Kushnerska added.
She also gave some examples of technological solutions that were already helpful to the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the front.
The Backfire UAV made by Zli Ptakhy (Angry Birds). It is a bomber drone with a payload of up to 6 kilograms, which can fly at a distance of 50+ kilometers. Its main targets are long-range artillery, electronic warfare equipment, logistical hubs, ammunition depots, etc.
The drone’s advantage is resistance to enemy electronic warfare, which is achieved with the protected passive GNSS module, optical and acoustic invisibility. The Backfire UAV itself is controlled by an autonomous mission, so the drone and the ground team of operators are invisible to the enemy electronic intelligence.
The Ironclad unmanned ground vehicle made by Roboneers. Being equipped with a thermal imaging camera and Shablia M2 combat turret, the unmanned ground vehicle can develop a speed of up to 12 kilometers per hour and carry a payload of 350 kilograms. The vehicle can storm enemy positions, conduct reconnaissance and carry out logistical tasks if necessary. Its main advantage is the possibility of remote control from a safe place. Thanks to it, the defenders do not expose themselves to additional danger while being able to inflict damage on the enemy equally effectively.
The AD Counter FPV electronic warfare system made by Kvertus. It is a special-purpose portable electronic warfare system intended to counter FPV by generating interference in the radio frequency range. The jamming radius of enemy UAVs starts from 150 meters, which allows for protecting a specific position of the Ukrainian military. The developers also created the AD Counter FPV modification, which could be put in a common backpack. It can serve to directly protect the military during both defense and assault operations.
Therefore, among the priorities for the second year of the cluster’s work, there are unmanned ground vehicles, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence in defense technologies and unmanned aerial vehicles.
“This does not cancel efforts in other areas, but the above directions are currently considered by the military as the most promising and needed,” Kushnerska concluded. (Ukrinform)