A new format of cooperation between business and the army in the field of air defense is being launched in Ukraine. Enterprises responsible for energy, communications, transport and other critical services will be able to create their own air defense groups that will work within a unified management system of the Air Force.
A new format of cooperation between business and the army in the field of air defense is being launched in Ukraine. Enterprises responsible for energy, communications, transport and other critical services will be able to create their own air defense groups that will work within a unified management system of the Air Force.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the government has adopted a resolution that opens up the possibility for critical infrastructure operators to officially join the state air defense system under the leadership of military commands. The document does not provide for additional costs from the state budget: companies are responsible for purchasing or obtaining authorized air defense assets, while the military is responsible for their use.
All air defense groups will operate exclusively under the commands of the military command within a single digital control system. The leaders of such groups will have access to operational information about the air situation and will receive tasks in real time, and the results of their work will be reported in the same circuit. In fact, this is about strengthening the surveillance network and firepower around vulnerable objects.
Only verified employees of enterprises will be able to join the groups: without criminal records, with medical clearances and after a check by the SBU. Candidates will be trained according to Air Force programs, and they will be able to use air defense means only within the framework of agreed procedures and under the supervision of the military.
First of all, critical infrastructure operators will be able to join. These are companies that ensure the operation of the energy system, communications, transport, water supply and other strategic areas. Participation is also open to enterprises that already have a permit for security activities, work with explosive materials or have the right to produce ammunition and explosives. To create a group, a company submits an application to the Ministry of Defense with a description of resources and personnel, undergoes verification and, after approval, is integrated into the Air Force management system.
The department explains that this model allows for the «densification» of the country’s air shield: local air defense groups, located directly near energy or communication facilities, reduce the time from detecting a target to making a decision to destroy it. This is especially important against the backdrop of massive Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, when each downed target can mean the preservation of electricity, water, or mobile communications for entire regions.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about who headed the Air Defense Unmanned Systems Forces. Colonel Yuriy Cherevashenko became the head of the new direction in the Air Forces: he will head the Air Defense Unmanned Systems and at the same time become the Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
