US wants to test Ukrainian drones and electronic warfare systems and gain access to technology – Bloomberg
The United States wants to test Ukrainian drones and electronic warfare systems with a view to procurement and is also interested in gaining access to Ukrainian military technologies and potentially intellectual property rights.
Source: Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter
Details: Bloomberg's sources say the Pentagon has requested tests of a number of Ukrainian defence products, including drones and electronic warfare systems.
Ukraine has pointed out during talks that these systems have already undergone extensive combat testing in the war against Russia, but the US wants to assess them separately with its military before potential contracts are signed.
The US reportedly sent Kyiv a draft letter of intent in early May concerning tests of Ukrainian military products. If systems are selected after testing, procurement contracts may follow. However, Bloomberg notes that the letter does not contain specific details or the scale of the potential deal and does not constitute a full agreement.
Quote from Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Ambassador to the US: "As a result of the work with the Department of State and the Pentagon, a draft framework document has been developed and is currently being reviewed by both sides at different institutional levels."
More details: Stefanishyna added that Ukraine is "committed to mutually beneficial cooperation that will enhance the strength of our armed forces."
Bloomberg reports that the US is also interested in access to critical Ukrainian technologies that would allow certain developments to be replicated. These include AI-assisted terminal guidance systems, navigation in GPS-denied environments, electronic warfare-resistant communications channels, and Ukraine's combat experience in the use of drones.
The Embassy of Ukraine in the US declined to answer specific questions about agreements on the transfer of technology and intellectual property rights.
Background:
- As of mid-May, Ukraine is working on defence agreements with around 20 countries under the Drone Deal programme for the joint development of defence technologies. On 13 May, Ukraine and Lithuania signed a bilateral defence cooperation agreement in the Drone Deal format.
- It was reported earlier that in March, Ukraine reached a defence cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, agreed on security and defence cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, and signed a defence agreement with Qatar.
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