EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance to Hold Inaugural Meeting in Brussels

11:49 PM ETDeveloping

World Desk

In Short: The EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance is set to convene its first meeting in Brussels, aiming to enhance European drone capabilities and coordinate responses to Russian incursions.

The EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance, established to bolster European drone and counter-drone capacities, is set to hold its inaugural meeting in Brussels on September 15. The alliance, which comprises 19 companies from both sides, seeks to create a comprehensive framework to facilitate and coordinate drone operations across Europe.

According to Simonas Šatūnas, head of Kubilius’s cabinet, the alliance aims to learn from Ukraine’s public-private drone ecosystem. This comes as Eastern European countries, including Estonia and Romania, have faced repeated drone incursions from Russia, highlighting the need for enhanced cooperation and coordination.

The meeting will also address the broader context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio noting the first meeting since the conflict began six months ago. The alliance’s chief aims include contributing to European efforts towards a comprehensive drone and counter-drone capacity and offering a multi-layered framework to support decision-making processes.

The alliance’s formation is part of a broader effort to strengthen EU-Ukraine defense ties. Since May, the Commission has signed a new “defence industrial partnership” with Ukraine, focusing on a “drone deal” that aims to provide a single, coherent framework to facilitate, coordinate, and support the full implementation of Ukraine’s drone deals with several EU/EFTA capitals.

As the alliance prepares for its first meeting, Eastern European countries are urging the next EU budget to account for the consequences of Russia’s war, particularly in terms of drone incursions. The meeting will be crucial in shaping the future of European drone capabilities and responding to the ongoing security challenges posed by Russia.

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“We’re trying to learn from them a lot, how the ecosystem functions, how the government and drone industries function together,” Simonas Šatūnas, head of Kubilius’s cabinet, said of the alliance at an event on Wednesday.
The grouping comprises 19 companies including ORQA, Indra Group, Fincantieri, WB Electronics/WB Group, Destinus, Delair, RSI Europe, TERMA A/S, Quantum Systems on the EU side and Skyfall Industries, Greentech Harvest, Tencore, Deviro, Vyriy Industry, Scientific Production Company ‘ATHLON AVIA’, TAF Industries, UFORCE and F-Drones on the Ukrainian side.
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