UAFP, together with its European partners, is working on a new model of cooperation between Ukraine and Europe in the defence sector

Why is a new model of defence cooperation needed?

The war in Ukraine has already demonstrated that Europe’s security is threatened not only by Russia, but also by China with its advanced technologies, Iranian drones and North Korean soldiers. In confronting this alliance, Ukraine and European countries need to build joint capabilities grounded in Ukrainian combat experience.

However, the existing formats of cooperation do not lead to systemic long-term contracts in the defence sector, while European partners lack the institutional mechanisms to integrate Ukraine’s military experience, capacity for innovation and rapid technology adaptation into their military strategies in a way that corresponds to current threats.

UAFP experts, together with partners and the Ministry of Defence of Latvia, are working on a cooperation concept intended to strengthen coordination between the military, governments and defence companies in order to establish joint production, a system of training and technology testing, adaptation to the conditions of modern warfare and scaling. This model envisages cooperation with specific European countries on NATO’s eastern flank, in particular Latvia.

Cooperation between UAFP and the Ministry of Defence of Latvia is formalised in the relevant memorandum signed during the Latvia–Ukraine Defence Forum on 23 March. At the event, which UAFP also helped organise, participants discussed the security challenges shared by Ukraine and Latvia and how to build a joint strategy for responding to threats.

What the participants of the Latvia–Ukraine Defence Forum discussed

The Latvia–Ukraine Defence Forum effectively confirmed the main point: Europe’s security system cannot be built effectively without Ukrainian combat experience. But that experience must be properly translated into joint solutions, production and the architecture of forces.

This is what the new model of cooperation should be built on. As Olga Khoroshylova noted, the battlefield on Ukraine’s eastern border is already shaping how European countries will see the future of warfare and how industries can help build defence capability.

At the centre of this new logic is the transformation of the battlefield itself. Oleksandr «Balistyka», Head of R&D of the Nemezis Brigade, describes the basic challenge for Ukraine as the expansion of the kill zone on the line of contact. This is about the ability to strike the enemy at greater distance, primarily through drones.

Modris Kairišs, representative of the Autonomous Systems Competence Centre of the National Armed Forces of Latvia, agrees: it is precisely range and scale in the use of unmanned systems that determine the effectiveness of modern warfare. And within this logic, it is important not only to strike further, but also to do so more cheaply. That is why reducing the cost of counter-drone means and systems for combating «Shaheds» becomes a parallel task. The scale of the problem is already industrial: according to Maria Lemberg, Supervisory Board member of the NGO «Aerorozvidka», Ukraine shoots down around 8,000 UAVs every month.

Denys Kanin, Director of the «Unmanned Naval Association», explains this through the example of the sea: unmanned systems already allow Ukraine to safeguard its coast and keep the grain corridor functioning, which forces a rethink of the role of the traditional fleet. The issue is the integration of traditional platforms and drones into a single system.

The same logic applies on land. Stanislav Boyko, Senior Analyst of the Reform Office of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, underlines that the «war of drones» is first and foremost about a change in the «modus operandi» on the battlefield and the need to integrate new technologies into the existing defence system.

The next level is efficiency and scale. According to Oleksandr «Balistyka», the future lies in the autonomisation of drones: the operator should only launch the system, rather than control it in real time. This is directly linked to resources. Ukraine is investing significant effort in training operators and, as Taras Tymochko, consultant to the «Come Back Alive» foundation, notes, the key question is how to optimise this model.

Part of the answer lies in training: well-equipped training centres have already become critically important for preparing military personnel, and they need to be scaled up, including through joint training for Ukrainians and partners.

But technology and training do not work without an industrial base. That is why Modris Kairišs speaks about the need to scale up weapons production in cooperation with EU countries. The key shift in this area should follow this logic: from selling individual products to offering integrated solutions, including packages of technologies and means that work together on the battlefield.

At the same time, such cooperation faces structural risks. One of them is dependence on Chinese components, which Taras Tymochko describes as a strategic vulnerability. Addressing this issue is becoming not merely an economic matter, but a security priority for the whole of Europe.

Ultimately, defence capability is not only about weapons. Maria Lemberg stresses that the critical factor is the ability to cooperate and coordinate. This is what determines whether technologies and experience are translated into real strength. And it also raises a fundamental question for manufacturers: are they building a business or strengthening their country’s defence capability?

The answer will determine the strategy, as well as whether Ukraine, together with its European partners, can build a joint defence system based on integrated solutions, joint production and coherent action on the battlefield.