Joint Ventures, Joint Defence: Day One. What Ukrainian manufacturers showcased during the TFUA polygon demo

On 28 August, Tech Force in UA (TFUA) held the Joint Ventures, Joint Defence event in Lviv, bringing together leading Ukrainian defence manufacturers, defence tech start-ups, EU and NATO officials, as well as other ecosystem representatives. On the eve of the forum, a closed demonstration of Ukrainian weapons manufacturers’ capabilities took place at a specially equipped training ground. Defender Media attended the demo and spoke there with TFUA’s Executive Director, Kateryna Mykhalko.

What was shown at the polygon

More than 15 leading Ukrainian companies took part in the demo, including General Cherry, Infozahyst, Vyriy Drones, DeViRo, Airlogix, Odd Systems, Fourth Law, Dwarf Engineering, Roboneers, TAF Industries, the German firms Quantum Systems and Stark, as well as other prominent manufacturers. Secure communications for participants were provided by HIMERA.

DeViRo presented to the public the Ukrainian equivalent of Russia’s Lancet – the medium-range drone Bulava, which can be used for reconnaissance, precision strikes, countering electronic warfare, and more. The drone was launched from a special catapult together with the well-known reconnaissance UAV Leleka-100M2R.

Infozahyst, a company specialising in the development and production of radio monitoring and signals intelligence systems, demonstrated the Archont mobile signals intelligence complex, capable of detecting radars at a distance of up to 400 km. The company also showcased its Pluton UAV detection and warning system, which can identify hostile drones at ranges of up to 70 km.

One of Ukraine’s largest UAV manufacturers, Vyriy Drones, demonstrated the Blyskavka – a Ukrainian response to Russia’s Molniya. In terms of performance, the Ukrainian system surpasses its adversary’s. With a relay, its maximum range reaches 60 km, it can climb to 2,000 metres and carry up to 8 kg of payload.

Dwarf Engineering demonstrated the functionality of its Narsil autonomous control module under conditions of limited pilot training. During the demo, two ten-inch FPV drones were able to autonomously target and hit a static target without pilot input thanks to the integrated autonomous control system. Defender Media has reported on earlier trials of the module in a separate piece.

Roboneers brought their flagship products – the remotely operated combat module Shablya and the ground robotic platform Rys. When the combat module is mounted on the robotic platform, an entirely new beast is born – the ShaRys, capable of performing a wide range of battlefield missions.

FRDM presented the R-34 strike drone, designed to operate behind enemy lines. The main advantage of the hexacopter is its powerful protection against electronic warfare systems and its reliable and accurate ammunition delivery system. The company also demonstrated a ground robot D-21-12R equipped with a machine gun.

General Cherry displayed its FPV drone models, of which the company produces more than 50,000 per month. Recently, Defender Media reported that the company became the first UAV manufacturer to fulfil an order via the DOT-Chain Defence platform.

TAF Industries, which recently underwent rebranding, showcased a prototype of its new 17-inch Kolibri relay drone. The 13-inch version of the Kolibri has already seen successful use at the front, and TAF Industries is launching serial production.

AirLogix presented the GOR reconnaissance UAV, capable of conducting surveillance at ranges of up to 100 km under active interference. The aircraft can stay airborne for up to four hours at an altitude of 3.5 km and is equipped with an 80x zoom camera. A quiet electric engine allows the UAV to operate at a comfortable distance and altitude while remaining unnoticed by the enemy.

Also on display:

• Athlon Avia showcased flights of its reconnaissance drones Furia, as well as the ST-35 Hrim and the SR-1200 multicopter;
• UkrSpecSystems displayed its Sharks – the Shark-M and Mini Shark;
• Yaroslav Azhnyuk spoke about the latest updates at his two defence companies, Odd Systems and Fourth Law;
• Quantum Systems presented its new reconnaissance drone R-24 (a Vector AI modification) with artificial intelligence and an integrated WASP acoustic system for detecting enemy artillery;
• Warbirds demonstrated its Puhach UAV;
• Several companies also presented fibre-optic guided drones.

Kateryna Mykhalko on TFUA’s “first polygon”

According to TFUA Executive Director Kateryna Mykhalko, this is the first time the organisation has held an international event and the first time it has organised a training ground demo. She noted that more than 150 guests attended the closed demonstration – mostly representatives of diplomatic missions, embassies, and foreign defence companies.

“We hope today’s demonstration has managed to inspire European partners and NATO countries to engage more actively with Ukraine’s defence capability, specifically through military technologies,” said Kateryna. In her view, such engagement can come through investment in Ukraine’s defence industry as well as through the establishment of joint ventures. “We strongly believe in joint production,” Mykhalko added. “Today our goal was to show that we already have a strong and stable industry, ready to operate in international markets.”

She hopes that training ground demos will become an important part of TFUA’s activity, as it is crucial for partners not only to hear about Ukraine’s industry but to see first-hand how it works. “We saw that this leaves a much stronger impression on our guests,” she concluded.