American drone manufacturer AIRO Group Holdings and Ukrainian manufacturer Bullet (Degree-Trans LLC) plan to create a joint venture to produce high-speed drone interceptors for the US, NATO, and Ukrainian armies.
American drone manufacturer AIRO Group Holdings and Ukrainian manufacturer Bullet (Degree-Trans LLC) plan to create a joint venture to produce high-speed drone interceptors for the US, NATO, and Ukrainian armies.
The partnership aims to develop an effective drone interceptor using Ukrainian technology and combat experience and Western production capacities. Defender Media reports. The future UAV will have a speed of up to 450 km/h, a range of about 200 km and a modular payload of 2.5 to 9 kg.
A full agreement will be signed in the next two months; drone production will take place in the USA and Ukraine. AIRO already produces the RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance drone, which can be prepared for launch in 5 minutes, and Bullet interceptors have already been used in combat conditions.
Within the joint venture, AIRO will be responsible for program management, certification procedures, and access to U.S. supply chains. The company expects to enter into contracts with U.S. government agencies, NATO, and allied defense ministries, coordinating technical requirements with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
If AIRO passes US manufacturing certification, it will avoid export restrictions on critical components and attract financing for domestic production.
Earlier, the German company Quantum Systems, which has production in Ukraine, announced the development of the Jäger high-speed interceptor drone. It is positioned as a cost-effective means of combating enemy drones with a hybrid power plant that combines electric propulsion with a solid-fuel rocket booster.
