Military Prowess: The Ukrainian government has launched an initiative to improve efficiency and boost innovations in the creation of drones, as well as other technologies that were crucial during Russia’s war with Ukraine.
In the course of the program called BRAVE1, The government hopes to bring together state, military, and private sector developers who are working on defense issues to form a cluster of technology that will provide Ukraine an advantage in the battle.
“Considering the enemy that is right next to us and its scale, we definitely need to develop the military tech so that we can defend ourselves,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister for digital transformation, told.
Fedorov said to The Associated Press ahead of Wednesday’s announcement that the government had allocated over 100 million hryvnias (about $2.7 million) to finance projects that could be used to aid Ukraine overcome the 14-month conflict.
“There are many people on the battlefield now of the young generation that can work with technologies, and they need them,” said the general stated.
Both Ukraine as well as Russia frequently make use of unmanned aerial vehicles both for surveillance and during attacks. Russia heavily uses Iran’s long-range exploding drones, Shahed-136 that cause damage to Ukrainian power plants and create fear among civilians. The Ukrainian government announced an appeal for public donations in the year 2000, asking foreign donors to assist in building the “army of drones.”
The head of the Moscow-appointed Port city Sevastopol within Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said in the last few days that Russian forces destroyed the Ukrainian sea drone which was attempting to strike the harbor, and another one detonated. Ukrainian officials did not go as far as declaring responsibility for the incident, as they did following earlier attacks on Crimea the Crimea region, which Russia was able to annex in 2014.
Oleksandr Kviatkovskyi who is a board member of the combat drone technology non-profit Aerorozvidka believes Brave1 as an opportunity that the military can utilize in communicating electronic warfare requirements as well as provide support for the industry of military technology.
“Even one year to develop a product, it’s a very short time,” he added.
Yet, Kviatkovskyi isn’t sure that this platform will provide an important boost in technology development in wartime.
“Even if it does, it will be minimal,” said the official. “Few things can be more effective than the boost created by the tanks near Kyiv,” he stated in reference to the way Ukrainian forces stopped Russian troops from advancing on Kyiv during the initial days of the conflict.
Fevzi Ametov Ukrainian military officer and the co-founder of Drone.ua company which specializes in drones, told companies and their engineers to attempt to incorporate the feedback of soldiers into the design of their drones.
“Any assault without drones, right now, it’s like going blind into a minefield, and you don’t know what is waiting for around the corner,” said the official stated. “Technologies help save lives.”
Ametov claimed that Ukraine has invested more resources in technology for military use as it did prior to Russia’s invasion. The assessment was based on the different drone models that his unit has tested.
“We always have something new to test, to understand if it’s needed for our unit or not,” He said.
Ametov who hails from Crimea is fighting on the Ukraine frontline of the war and is still working for his company, which plans to serve as an advisor within the BRAVE1 initiative.
The company sells a portable anti-drone weapon that utilizes radio signals to block drones and reduce their power. As per Ametov, Ukrainian forces are employing hundreds of the $12,000 guns that can last for as long as 30 minutes on one fully charged battery “with more and more coming.”
“Every side is trying to use as many drones as possible,” Ametov declared. “When you are staying at the position, this is the only way to protect yourself from the drone.”
At present, Ukraine and Russia are close to being on par with respect to their drone capabilities as per Fedorov. But if they are facing an adversary with more equipment and troops, Ukraine must strive for technological advancement, Fedorov said.
“No matter how much enthusiasm you have to defend your country, you just physically cannot do it,” Minister said.
“That’s why it’s important to build institutions, so we can convert the energy of all volunteers, businesses and active citizens into concrete big projects that will continue to work for decades,” the president said.
