Anna Gvozdiar, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, who previously headed the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, spoke about the growth of localization of component production for Ukrainian drones.
Anna Gvozdiar, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, who previously headed the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, spoke about the growth of localization of component production for Ukrainian drones.
«We monitor the degree of localization of all unmanned systems that are purchased. And the percentage of localization is constantly growing: from FPV to large deep strikes,» Gvozdiar told the DOU publication on Defense Tech «Arsenal of Talents.»
According to her, many new participants have appeared on the market, in particular with technical elements that improve the quality of products. From basic robots to 3D printer farms. «That is, everything can be created in Ukraine. And there are products that are made exclusively from domestic components,» says the deputy minister.
She noted that currently the average level of localization of unmanned systems is over 50% and continues to grow, and Ukrainian manufacturers are looking for solutions to replace Chinese drones.
One of them was the first codified analogue of the popular Chinese military quadcopter DJI Mavic — «Shmavik» with the most similar characteristics. It is ready for purchase and use in units.
Anna Hvozdiar spoke about foreign partners in the provision of components, when a partner country does not purchase weapons from a Ukrainian manufacturer, but supplies it with parts purchased from its own manufacturer free of charge. She says that these are often «valuable components» that make up a significant part of the product’s cost.
«Globally, we do not compete with China. Yes, it is a large and relatively cheap market. But if the product is a little more expensive because of Ukrainian components, this money remains in Ukraine. For us, this is more valuable than giving money abroad for a cheaper offer. Producing as many components as possible within the country is strategically beneficial. We will choose the Ukrainian option, because this is our economy,» says Gvozdiar.
The Deputy Minister noted that there is no «striking difference in price» of components from foreign and Ukrainian suppliers. In addition, foreign sellers also have «a certain percentage of low-quality products.»
«In Ukraine, we can reduce the share of low-quality products because the manufacturer is close and it is easier to resolve problems with him. Not to mention that a local supplier is faster at adapting the product to your needs and delivering it,» explains Anna Gvozdiar.
