Ukraine is opening up opportunities for foreign weapons companies to test military technology right on the frontline through a program called "Experiment in Ukraine".
This is an initiative supported by the Brave1 arms investment and procurement group, announced by the government at a defense conference in Wiesbaden, Germany.
According to Brave1, companies will send products to Ukraine, train soldiers online, then wait for reports from Ukrainian forces after using weapons on the ground.
Mr. Artem Moroz, investor relations manager of Brave1, said the program provides practical understanding of the effectiveness of technologies and helps businesses know which products are actually working in harsh conditions.
No companies have yet been announced to be involved, and Mr. Moroz declined to disclose details about the operation as well as related costs. However, he said the show has attracted strong attention.
While Russian forces continue to attack on a front of more than 1,000km and increase airstrikes on Ukrainian cities, Kiev is betting on the domestic defense industry, partly driven by foreign investment, to confront its superiorly equipped opponent.
Brave1, established in 2023, is not only an online platform connecting Ukrainian defense companies with investors, but also a place for military units to place orders for weapons. The group has compiled a list of priority military technologies that need to be tested, with the first being new air defense systems, drone intercept equipment, artificial intelligence guidance systems, and anti-acactic bomb solutions.
Ukraine is also interested in underwater unmanned systems, on-road electronics, advanced fire control systems and technology that helps artillery officers be more precise thanks to AI.
