NOVATOR APC perfectly suited for off-road missiONs - Defense Express
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№2-3 [april – september 2020]
ATTACK FROM THE SKY
Fury & Thunder –
what new Ukrainian
UAVs are Capable of
NOVATOR APC
perfectly suited for off-road missions
RIFF – Compact-size Barrier-S: Pirat ATGM Attacks from the Top
Countermeasure against UAV A comprehensive Bilateral Polish-Ukrainian project
Threats upgrade to has reached its final stage
renowned ATGM
vehicle
10 14
22 42
36
threats and challenges anti-tank weapons Unmanned systems
10 GENUINE THREAT
Ukrainian military presented OSCE its
views regarding the current security
26 PIRAT ATGM Attacks
from the top 42 "FURY" and "THUNDER" drones
made in Ukraine
Polish company conducted successful What new Ukrainian UAVs are capable of
situation in and around Ukraine testing of the ATGM system Pirat – a
Ukrainian-Polish project
stand-off Analysis
14 HYBRID WAR AT Sea:
Ukrainian Experience Business 46 Air Defenses vs. Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles
Opinion: Hybrid tactics must be identified
and neutralized in advance in order to
prevent negative effects from adversary
30 Trade firm Progress
The oldest exporting company
in Ukraine
The lessons learnt from combat
confrontations between high-tech
armaments
actions
Defense-industrial Firepower Communication
transformation
20 LIVE IN A NEW WAY 34 SHTURM/STORM-SM
Comprehensive upgrade to Soviet-
developed ATGM vehicle
48 Harris
USAI program and Ukrainian army:
Ukraine’s Defense-Industrial Sector is Advanced Tactical communications
facing Dramatic Reforms in how the changes rules of the game on the front line
Defense Industry is managed
Armored combat vehicles
Missile Technology
36 "We are currently more ANTI-DRONE WARFARE
22 NEPTUNE ASCM Project
approaching its final lap
than just a manufacturer of
armored vehicles" 50 RIFF on guard against
drone threats
DKKB Luch has completed trials of its Interview with Vladyslav Belbas, Interproinvest offers a compact-size
ASCM System Neptune Ukrainian Armor LLC CEO countermeasure against UAV attacks
Founder and Publisher – Defense Express Media & Consulting Company LCC
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Naval expert – VOLODYMYR ZABLOTSKY; Translator – JANNA DYOMINA.
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Defense & Security NEWS Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
Ukraine's Air Force to Undergo
ments replacing fighter, bomber and
spy airplanes currently in use.
During the third and final phase,
Drastic Modernization by 2035 the UAF’s fleet will be fully modern-
ized with new capabilities that will re-
place Soviet legacy fleets by 2035.
According to the concept, the UAF
will be recreated into a brand new,
modern air force branch; the command
and control, logistics and personnel
components should be prepared to act
effectively and efficiently in all opera-
tional scenarios of modern warfare.
The currently operational tacti-
cal aviation, consisting of fighter,
bomber, attack and reconnaissance
branches fielded with varied models
of MiG-29s, Su-27s, Su-24Ms, Su-25s,
and Su-24MRs, has to be renovated
and restructured to become a mul-
Ukraine’s Air Force (UAF) fleet will, During the second phase (2025-30), ti-role, mixed-capability force uni-
by 2035, be modernized with new air- from 8 to 12 fighters will be acquired formly equipped with 4++ generation
craft, in a three-phase program worth each year so that to enable the UAF to jets such as Swedish Saab JAS-39E/F
UAH 200 billion (USD 7.2 billion). fully replace its aging fleet of MIG-29s Gripen or F-16 Block 70/72 to reduce
Plans for modernization of the and Su-27s by the end of the program. inventory types and minimize logis-
country’s air force and air defense ca- At least two tactical aviation bri- tics footprint and cost.
pabilities are set out in the Air Force’s gades will be fully re-equipped with Overall, Ukraine needs to purchase
2035 concept. new aircraft and full operational capa- and accept for service between 72 and
As part of the initial, preparatory bility will be achieved by 2030. 108 fighters deployed to at least 4 tac-
phase (2021-25) Ukraine will hold a On a parallel track, UAF’s trans- tical aviation brigades by 2035. The
tender and struck a contract in 2022 port fleet has to be fully replaced, too, lesser overall number of fighters (as
to procure 6-12 new multirole fighters starting in 2030, at a rate of 1-2 aircraft compared to the present-time fleet)
to achieve initial capability in 2025 a year. will be compensated by their moder-
so that the UAF could prepare infra- The UAF also wants to deploy nity and technological superiority
structure and train personnel. unmanned aviation brigades or regi- over the Soviet legacy fleet.
Ukraine Developing New UCAV to be known
as Sokil-200
automatic takeoff and landing, auton- mor missiles capable of ranges up to
omous preprogrammed inertial navi- 7.5 km. It will be equipped with the
Luch, a State-owned defense con- gation flight and long-range live video Ukrainian-designed optronic weapon
tractor, is working on development of a streaming via an encrypted link", Mr aiming pod OPSN-1 that can pick up
full-mission Unmanned Combat Aerial Korostelev said. targets at ranges out to 14.5 km away.
Vehicle (UCAV) known tentatively as Sokil-200 UCAV will feature some Regarding the engine for the new
Sokil-200 (Ukrainian for "Falcon"). of the technology solutions that DKKB UCAV, Luch is hesitating choosing
With a wingspan of 14 meters and a Luch has already tried out and imple- between a turboprop and a piston en-
payload capacity of 200-250 kg, Sokil-200 mented in its Anti-Ship Cruise Missile gine. Defense Express estimates that
will surpass its Turkish rival Bayraktar (ASCM) system Neptune and similar an Ivchenko-Progress turboprop or
by a margin of two meters and several projects. Here we talk about the com- a piston engine with specs similar to
times, respectively, whilst retaining the mand and control station with associ- the Austrian Rotax 914 are best suited
same air endurance of 24 hours. ated communication facilities as well for this application. Here the talk is
This came from an interview given as the inertial guidance system and about Ivchenko-Progress AI-450 tur-
to Defense Express by Oleh Korostelev, some other electronic systems fielded boprop that delivers 450 horsepower
Chief of Design and CEO at DKKB Luch. on the Neptune’s R-360 missile. at a weight of 130 kg. Just for record,
"We are developing a full-mission The new UCAV will carry Luch’s Turkey had selected the AI-450 for its
UCAV equipped with capabilities for Barrier-V precision-guided anti-ar- Akinci UCAV.
4
facebook.com: Ukrainian Defense Review
Kyiv, Ankara Negotiating Localization of UCAV
Bayraktar Production in Ukraine
Ankara and Kyiv are negotiating cussed by the two countries. Also signed by the then President Petro
options for collaborative development under negotiation is collaborative Poroshenko during his Turkish visit
and production of the Turkish-de- development of more capable sys- in November 2018. This was followed
veloped Bayraktar drone system in tems and even production of Bay- by the $70 million contract struck in
Ukraine. raktar drones in Ukraine, provided January 2019 to purchase 6 Bayrak-
This is according to a report by In- there are appropriate conditions in tar UCAV systems in a package with
terfax-Ukraine, citing the Ambassador place. I think that defense industry three Ground Control Stations. The
of Turkey to Ukraine Mr Yagmur Ah- can become a new hallmark of the drones arrived and were flight tested
met Guldere. Turkey-Ukraine cooperation, includ- in the Ukrainian skies in March 2019.
The two countries have conducted ing this specific area," the Turkish In the following months till May 2020,
several rounds of negotiations on var- Ambassador said. the UAVs flew a series of operator
ied aspects of bilateral cooperation, UDR note: Bayraktar drones are in training missions.
from co-development of high-end production at the Turkish company In July 2020, the Turkish Anado-
unmanned aerial systems up to local Baykar Makina. The Bayraktar fami- lu Agency cited Ukraine’s Defense
production of Bayraktar UCAVs in ly of UAVs includes Mini Bayraktar, Minister, Andriy Taran as telling his
Ukraine, provided that appropriate Bayraktar VTOL (vertical takeoff Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar
conditions are in place, Mr Ambassa- and landing), and (the best selling that Ukraine is looking to purchase
dor told Interfax-Ukraine. of them all) Bayraktar TB2. Ukraine another shipment of UAV systems
"We had discussions on various purchased a shipment of Bayraktar (presumably Bayraktar TB2) from
topics, and this issue was also dis- TB2 drone systems under a contract Turkey.
Cameroon Air Force Buys vice was reported to have
purchased from Russia two
Mi-24s, overhauled and
Barrier-V ATGMs from Ukraine upgraded.
UDR note: The Photo-
UkrSpecExport, an affiliate of the KTK-1M training & status monitoring prylad’s 524R is a missile
State-owned Ukroboronprom defense equipment kit for integrated guided fire-control kit that was de-
industries holding group, has shipped missile systems. signed as part of upgrade
a batch of weaponry and equipment Reports are that this purchased packages for the helicopters
to the Cameroon Air Force, under a equipment will be deployed on heli- Mi-24, Mi-8 and Mi-2. The
$2.411 million contract awarded in De- copter platforms, albeit without spec- 524R has day-and-night ca-
cember 2019. ifying the types or names of the plat- pabilities for (1) battlefield
This is according to statistics from forms. surveillance; (2) search,
52wmb.com, an export/import online The Cameroon Air Force is current- detection, identification
platform. ly fielding five Mi-8/17 multi-role hel- and automatic tracking of
The contract included two units of icopters in several configurations, in ground and aerial targets,
the 524-PE guided weapon system; addition to two Mi-24V attack helicop- moving or stationary, and
two units of the electronic warfare sys- ters the service purchased in 2015 from (3) guidance and control of
tem Quadros; 38 PK-2B "Barrier-V" an- Slovakia and got them overhauled and helicopter-launched, RK-
ti-tank guided missiles; one unit of the upgraded by Poland. In 2016, the ser- 2V missiles.
5
Defense & Security NEWS Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
Ukraine Developing a Drone-Delivered Bomb
SpetsOboronMash is developing The munition is being designed tion of factors such as the altitude and
a lineup of dropped munitions op- with a mass of 4.2 kg and a length of speed of the drone platform; weather
timized to be fired from UCAV plat- about 45 cm. It will carry a high ex- conditions, etc. Algorithms for using
forms. One such, an unguided gravity plosive anti-tank warhead of 80 mm in the munition in specific mission sce-
bomb, has completed its prototyping diameter which expands downward narios will be set by a ballistic com-
phase and is now ready to enter initial to 110 mm. The warhead can be fuzed puter tailored for each specific drone
trials beginning soon. to detonate in air, on impact or upon platform.
penetration. While claiming that this com-
Deployment scenarios for this mu- pact-size gravity bomb is suitable to
nition will depend on the combina- be fired from both fix-wing and rota-
ry-wing aircraft, SpetsOboronMash
doesn’t disclose the company that has
provided its drone platform for this
project and acts as a major or potential
partner in developing air-deliverable
weapons for use from UAVs.
More details about the bomb’s
specs and capabilities will become
available upon completion of facto-
ry-level tests when it will be delivered
to field forces for user evaluation and
further maturing.
Sri Lanka Air Force to Get its
disassembly to testing – all by itself.
The Plant has copyright over MRO
manuals for the full range of aircraft
An-32B Airplanes Refurbished and their associated systems it repairs
and overhauls.
in Ukraine Plant 410 CA was, on July 15, 2020,
certified by a NATO country to do
Plant 410 Civil Aviation (CA) and Plant 410 CA is a certified MRO maintenance and overhaul of An-26
Antonov Company will collabora- provider for the airplanes Antonov airplanes, auxiliary propulsion sys-
tively do full overall and lif e exten- An-24, An-26, An-30, An-32 as well tems RU19A-300 and airplane pro-
sion work on three An-32B airlifters as D-36 1/1A/2A engines deployed on pellers AV-72. Issued by the State
operational with the Air Force of Sri Yak-42, An-72 and An-74 airplanes. Department of Aviation at Hungary’s
Lanka, according to a press statement The Company maintains self-suffi- Ministry of Defense, the certificate is
released by Plant 410 CA. ciency doing all the operations – from valid till June 11, 2025.
One An-32B airplane (serial num-
ber 3501, hull number SCM-860) and
one An-32B (3504/SCM-869) flew and
arrived in Ukraine on August 11, 2020.
Ukrinmash, the licensed arms dealer
who acts as the Contract compliance
supervisor, provided technical aid to
help prepare the airplanes for their
technical flights from Sri Lanka to
Ukraine.
UDR note: Overall, the Sri Lan-
ka Air Force is fielding nine An-32B
transports (five built in 1995 and four
in 1996). Some were purchased new-
ly built in Ukraine while others were
bought in the early 2000s after a peri-
od of lease use by Colombia.
Plant 410 CA will do the lion's
share of the work under this contract.
6
Defense & Security NEWS Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
DKKB Luch to Unveil its
"Almost all of the key compo-
nents and subsystems will undergo
improvements and upgrades. Stug-
Stugna-P ATGM Upgrade in 2021 na-P has a whole different look with
reduced size, improved ergonomy of
use, enhanced quality of images and
weapon guidance quality etc," he said.
UDR note: Stugna-P was officially
inducted into Ukrainian Army service
in 2011, but it was not until the out-
break of Russian military aggression
in Ukraine that the ATGM and its as-
sociated launchers and training facili-
ties began to be fielded to Ukrainian
forces in 2014.
The ATGM systems Stugna-P and
Korsar/Corsair were ceremonially
handed over to the Armed Forces in
August 2018.
The Armed Forces have over the
past few years received hundreds
of brand new Stugna-P and Korsar
ATGM launchers and thousands of
their associated missiles.
After having proved its effective-
ness in real-world combat engage-
DKKB Luch, a state-owned defense "We will release Stugna very soon. ments in Eastern Ukraine, the Ukrain-
contractor affiliated with the Ukrob- I hope that a whole new configura- ian ATGM system saw a substantial
oronprom defense industries group, tion of the Stugna will be ready next surge in demand on the international
intends to unveil an improved and year," Oleh Korostelev, Chief of De- market.
upgraded configuration of its Stugna sign and CEO at DKKB Luch told Export-oriented version of the
anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) sys- Defense Express in an exclusive in- ATGM Stugna-P has been successfully
tem, named Stugna-P, in 2021. terview. marketed across the globe.
Ukraine Looking to Develop, Bring into Production
an Upgrade to Renowned Passive SIGINT/COMINT
System Kolchuga
R&D and Production Corporation going to be a whole new system with
NVK Iskra is willing to develop and a different look and a different equip-
bring into production a new pas- ment layout. The Defense Ministry
sive COMING/SIGINT system that has already drafted an operational re-
will have higher capabilities than the quirements document on the new sys-
world-renowned Kolchuga-M. tem. But, I think, this will change and
This came from an interview given gradually become more realistic in the
to Defense Express by Iskra CEO, Yuri course of research and development".
Pashchenko. UDR note: Kolchuga-M, a passive
Asked about the probability that electronic reconnaissance system, de-
Iskra would open a production line for tects and tracks aerial threats by trian-
the Kolchuga-M as the Government gulation and multilateration of their
envisioned, Mr Pashchenko said: "We radio-frequency emissions, while
don’t believe it feasible or practicable itself remaining "passive", i.e. imper-
to get engaged in production restart or ceptible to other radars. Kolchuga-M
modernization of that system. Instead, can scan an envelope of 600 km in
we suggest to develop and bring into range, 150 km in width and 10 km in
production a new system that will re- altitude, but its detection range may
tain the best features of the Kolchuga be up to 800 km for very high altitude,
while adding some extra features. It is very powerful emitters.
8
facebook.com: Ukrainian Defense Review
Ukrainian Company Developing
UDR note: Malyuk automatic ri-
fle, which is a bullpup conversion of
the Soviet Kalashnikov rifle, entered
New 40-mm Grenade Launcher Ukrainian Army service in 2017, in a
version known in the domestic market
as "Special Automatic Rifle Vulcan".
The bullpup design has created an
overall more compact weapon main-
taining the advantages of a long barrel
such as accuracy while reducing the
overall size and weight.
The 5.45/7.62 Malyuk rifles have
been fielded to Ukraine’s defense and
public security forces, with thousands
of the rifles deployed so far (most of
them with Special Operations Forces),
according to InterProInvest.
InterProInvest, a Private-Sector com- gle-shot weapon is being developed It should be added that, in a bull-
pany, is developing a new hand-held for use by Ukraine’s Special Opera- pup weapon, length adjustment of the
grenade launcher derived from the So- tions Forces. butt-stock is the most difficult chal-
viet legacy 40-mm single-shot under- Beyond that, there is another new lenge to handle. As we can see from
barrel GP-25/Koster grenade launcher. product the Company is working on. the preceding comments, engineers at
Pictures emerged on Facebook Thus, videos emerged in the In- InterProInvest are handling this chal-
showing the new grenade launcher ternet showing InterpProInvest’s lenge with great success, which will
being tested. automatic rifle Malyuk featuring an help make the Ukrainian automatic ri-
Underneath the pictures, cap- adjustable length butt-stock among fle more user convenient and appeal-
tions read that the compact-size, sin- several other new features. ing to the Soldier.
Ukrainian Marines to Switch Over to L3Harris
Radios Beginning Next Year
Ukraine’s Naval Infantry will be UDR note: Harris Falcone II HF from the U.S. Foreign Military Fund-
fully re-equipped with L3Harris ra- radios and higher-end Falcon III ing (FMF) program budgets. The
dios as part of a major modernization HF/VHF radios have been field- Armed Forces have also fielded more
effort planned for 2021. ed for several years to Ukraine’s capable, multi-band, multi-role ra-
"For next year we plan a number Armed Forces, National Guard dio systems supporting virtually all
of major projects. One such is to ful- and State Border Guard bandwidths and frequencies, includ-
ly equip Naval Infantry brigades and Service, this being ena- ing satellite frequencies.
battalions with L3Harris Technologies bled through funding As at early 2020, Ukraine had pro-
digital radios (e.g. with funding from cured $230 million worth of commu-
international aid programs)", Maj Gen nication equipment from L3Harris
Yevhen Stepanenko, Chief of Com- Technologies, with another procure-
munication and Cyber Security for ment worth $70 million planned for
Ukraine’s Armed Forces has said. this year.
According to MG Stepanenko, the
MoD is seeking to strike an offset bar-
ter deal with L3Harris containing pro-
visions to promote efficient, broad-
er range use of the radios across the
Armed Forces user community.
What is meant here is to set up an
authorized MRO service center for
Lr3Harris radios in Ukraine. In ad-
dition to providing MRO services,
the center will be focused to produce
manuals on "installation of Harris ra-
dios onto vehicular platforms of the
Armed forces", he said.
9
Defense & Security NEWS Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
ELBIT SYSTEMS WILL HELP UKRAINE TO UPGRADE
MIG-29 FIGHTER JETS
The news agency Defense Express, Ukrainian Air Force’s aging fleet of The upgrade offered by Elbit for the
quoting Ukraine’s Ministry of De- MiG-29 fighters. MiG-29 will provide the Soviet legacy
fense officials, reported that Israeli The potential agreement will cover jet with capabilities far exceeding those
defense electronics company Elbit the MiG-29 aircraft avionics upgrade of the Ukrainian MiG-29MU2 upgrade.
Systems can help the country to up- program, advanced cockpit, radars, Interestingly, the Ministry of De-
grade Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet weapon delivery and navigation sys- fense plans that Elbit Systems will
into a next-generation, powerful tacti- tems. take part in the modernization of 11
cal fighter aircraft. MiG-29 fighters of the Ukrainian Air
Elbit has been currently negoti- Force. At the same time, according
ating its possible participa- to preliminary estimates, the cost
tion in modernization of of modernizing each aircraft will be
about $40 million.
Elbit Systems Ltd. is an interna-
tional high technology company
engaged in a wide range of defense,
homeland security and commercial
programs throughout the world. The
company’s portfolio already includes
projects to modernize F-5 and MiG-
29 fighters for a number of other
countries.
United States Clears Sale of
for Ukraine using U.S. security assis-
tance funds. The remaining vessels will
be available for Ukraine to purchase us-
16 Mark VI Patrol Boats to ing its military budget".
UDR note: Plans to procure the U.S.
patrol boats Mark VI were first made
Ukraine public in late 2019 and confirmed by the
Ambassador of Ukraine to the United
These latest generation patrol boats Mark VI patrol boats & related equip- States, Volodymyr Yelchenko in May
will be procured for the Ukrainian ment to Ukraine. This will help the 2020.
Navy under U.S. foreign military assis- Ukrainian Navy meet current and fu- In June, U.S. Defense Security Coop-
tance programs. ture threats in the Black Sea & the Sea eration Agency notified Congress of the
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro of Azov". possible Foreign Military Sale of up to
Kuleba said in a tweet: "The United According to the Foreign Minister, 16 Mark VI patrol boats and associated
States has approved the sale of up to 16 "Six boats are currently being prepared equipment to Ukraine.
10threats and challenges Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
GENUINE THREAT
Russian Federation Building up Military Power in its
Occupied Crimea and on Ukraine’s Eastern Border
I
n early July 2020, an online meet- We live in difficult times. The mod- tion of the Vienna Document by all
ing of the OSCE Forum for Security ern world has run into another period participating Parties, but also updat-
Co-operation took place, at which the of turbulence, which is characterized ing the document to current realities
Ukrainian military presented its views by the presence of both traditional and to take into account emerging chal-
regarding the current security situa- a number of emerging threats and chal- lenges to the European security sys-
tion in and around Ukraine, more specif- lenges. The international security crisis tem.
ically in the context of Russia’s military is assuming systemic proportions. Being aware of the importance of
aggression. Here UDR introduces its In this context, it is indisputable these processes Ukraine, being one of
readers to contents of the speech deliv- that the armed conflict launched by 34 OSCE participating States, takes
ered at the gathering by Leonid Holopa- the Russian Federation in the Donbas the appropriate steps in this direction.
tiuk, Lieutenant General, Head of the and Russia’s occupation of a part of However, we face the reluctance of
Main Directorate of Military Cooperation Ukraine’s territory has resulted in the some of the participating States to sup-
and Verification of the Armed Forces of significant deterioration of the securi- port these changes. We also face block-
Ukraine. ty situation in the OSCE area. Russia’s ing, by the Russian Federation, of the
armed aggression in Ukraine has, in modernization
Ladies and Gentlemen! In my essence, become an unprecedented of the VD and
speech to the "Security Dialogues" of challenge to current security in Eu- CSBM ad-
the OSCE Forum for Security Co-oper- rope and globally. aptation to
ation, I would like to take this oppor- For the first time since the World the current
tunity to inform you in detail about the War II, an attempt has been made to realities.
implementation of the Vienna Docu- change the long-lasting world order
ment 2011 (VD-2011) by Ukraine and, in Europe, including by the use of mil-
at the same time, to familiarize you itary force.
with the situation where my country Especially pertinent among the
has found itself due to the occupa- actions taken by the European Com-
tion of a part of its territory and ille- munity to ensure stability and peace
gal annexation of the Autonomous are those aimed at appropriately en-
Republic of Crimea forcing arms control regime and con-
and Sevastopol by fidence/security-building measures
a foreign country, (CSBM).
as well as foreign An important aspect in
military build- this context is not just
up in eastern the conscientious and
Ukraine. strict implementa-
12facebook.com: Ukrainian Defense Review
Moreover, the Russian Federation’s
Russian formations along the Ukraine’s borders
activities have already dealt a blow to 2014 2020 Москва
Ukraine’s territorial integrity and re- Number of
ЛИТВА armament and
ХХ
ІІІ
sulted in the creation of the so called military equipment: 144
59
"grey zones" in our territory. At the Смоленськ Єльня
Smolensk ОA
rocket systems – 18 BTGs – 4
РОСІЙСЬКА
same time, military build-up in close RUSSIAN
ІІ
tanks – up to 1100 REPUBLIC ФЕДЕРАЦІЯ
FEDERATION
proximity to our State border contin- APCs/IFVs – up to 2600 OF BELARUS ІІІ ІІІ
ues to foster more destabilizing factors. БІЛОРУСЬ
Artillery pieces – up to1170
ХХХХ
MLRS – up to 400
Клинці
254 488
ХХ
Donetsk and Luhansk Strength of personnel:
20
Воронеж
Orel-Voronezh OA
Regions 3 ІІІ BTGs – 6
ІІ
up to 87 thousands of personnel ІІІ
As has been repeatedly noted, de- (28 BTGs)
752
237
Солоті
КИЇВ
ployment of the Russian-occupying Валуйки ІІІ
force to temporarily occupied areas
Богучар
Х
252
of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, con- УКРАЇНА
UKRAINE ХХХ Каменськ-
Шахтинський
20
ХХ
sisting of the 1st and the 2nd Army
ХХХХ
ХХХ Волгоград
2
Corps, has brought a lot of weapons
МО
150 8
1
ПМ ВА
and military equipment to the east of
п-н “Кадамовський”
ЛД
TF
ОГРВ
Новочеркаськ
п-н “Кузминский”
Р
О
ІІІ ІІІ ІІІ ІІІ
our country. By the way, the strength
Тирасполь
РУМУНІЯ
RОMANIA
of these formations exceeds that of ХХХ
Crimean OA 103 68
Don OA
102 163
ХХХХХ
some of European countries. ХХХХХ
22
BTGs – 6
Сімферополь BTGs – 12
ІІ
ЧФ
About 650 Russian career service- Чорне море
BSF SMD
men occupy command and staff posts,
requiring critical skills, in the 1st and
2nd ACs. In addition to this, Russia has For your information: the 22nd Army Corps and the 810th detached Naval Infantry
deployed operational/combat support Brigade comprise the core of the ground component, which is planned to be organized into
units as well as logistics units, military a new combined arms army. Currently, 6 battalion tactical groups are ready for deployment.
advisers and instructors to temporari- The air component has been reinforced by deployment to the peninsula of units of bomber,
ly occupied areas in Donetsk and Lu- assault, fighter and army aviation. By the way, the aircraft Su-30SM, Su-30M2, Su-34 and
hansk Regions, bringing its military helicopters Mi-28, Ka-52 that Russia has deployed to the peninsula are not found in the
presence up to 2,100 troops. country’s annual Military Information Exchanges.
In order to sustain the operation of Belbek and Hvardiyske airfields have been rebuilt to allow Russian long-range bombers
its 1st and 2nd ACs, the Russian Fed- to be deployed to the peninsula, and Crimea’s infrastructure has been prepared for nu-
eration continues supplying ammu- clear weapons deployment.
nition and POL (petroleum, oil and The combat capabilities of the naval component have been increased by adding the latest
lubricants) from its territory. warships and submarines armed with Kalibr cruise missiles (up to 70 surface ships/
gunboats, 6 submarines with a combined salvo of 84 missiles).
Crimeа
Militarization of Crimeа force has been established in Crimea, troops (forces) equipped with latest
remains another desta- comprised of ground, air and sea com- weapons and military technologies.
bilizing factor. To- ponents with a combined strength of I would like to draw your attention
day, a powerful about 32,500 servicemen. Add to that, to the fact that the Russian Federation
joint task units of Russian Coast Defense Forces, has over the past six years substantial-
National Guard (up to two brigades) ly increased the amount of weapons
as well as the FSB Border Guard Ser- and military equipment deployed in
vice have been deployed. the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
This indicates an active increase in By the way, we are still missing infor-
strike power of the Russian Armed mation about the Su-30SM, Su-30M2,
Forces units illegally deployed to Su-34 combat aircraft as well as the
the peninsula, achieved by means of Mi-28 and Ka-52 helicopters that Rus-
increasing the number of deployed sia has deployed to Crimea. →
Leonid Holopatiuk,
Lieutenant General, Armed Force of Ukraine: "The Russian Federation
deployed 28 battalion tactical groups along Ukraine’s border"
13Threats and Challenges Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
Eastern border
The Russian Federation continues
its military build-up along Ukraine’s
border. In particular, new military
units have been set up and existing
military formations reorganized in
order to enhance their ability to fight.
Currently, 28 battalion tactical groups
are deployed along Ukraine’s border.
Today, work is being completed to
set up three new formations – two Ar-
mies and an Army Corps, which are
envisioned to reach full operational
capability in 2020-2021.
In Russia’s Western strategic area,
the 20th Combined Arms Army con-
sisting of the 3rd Motorized Division
and the 144th Motorized Division
has been organized to empower the
Ground Component.
The 448th Missile Brigade of the
20th Army has been equipped with
mobile short-range ballistic missile
systems "Iskander".
For your information: tactical elements of the 1st AC include:5 brigades (1st, 3rd, 5th In the South-Western strategic
dmbde, 100th dmbde, dartbde); 3 detached regiments (11th dmreg, 9th dmreg, detached area, the 8th Combined Arms Army
commandant reg.); 10 detached battalions (divisions). consisting of the 150th Motorized Di-
Tactical elements of the 2nd AC include: 4 brigades (2, 4, 7 dmbde, dartbde); 2 regiments vision, the 20th detached Motorized
(6 dmreg, detached commandant reg); 6 detached battalions (artillery battalions). Rifle Brigade, and the 1st and 2nd ACs
The 1st and 2nd ACs have a combined strength of some 35,000 military personnel and has been organized.
possess a complement of equipment that includes 481 battle tanks, 914 armored fighting The "Iskander" missile brigades
vehicles, 720 artillery gun systems, and 202 MLRS deployed in the Donbas areas outside will be established within the mili-
government control. tary district and the Army. Overall,
the strength of Russia’s ground task
Guided by the provisions of the restricted access to certain areas in force deployed along Ukraine’s bor-
Global Exchange of Military Infor- the Black and Azov Seas; der amounts to about 87,000 military
mation, specifically paragraph 4.4, • restriction of freedom of navigation personnel, up to 1,100 tanks; up to
which states that a State Party must in the Sea of Azov in order to cause 2,600 armored fighting vehicles; up to
report up-to-date information on economic damage to our state; 1,100 artillery gun systems; up to 360
troops (forces) stationed in a foreign • denying the passage of Ukrainian MLRS, and 8 mobile short-range bal-
state, Ukraine insists that the Russian Navy ships and boats through the listic missile systems.
Federation has to report, within the Kerch Strait. The Air Component continues
Global Exchange of Military Informa- to be modernized with newly-built
tion, data on the number of troops and Under the guise of fighting "terror- and upgraded aircraft (Su-30SM,
weapons it had deployed to Ukraine. ist" threats, Russia has been tightening Su-35S, Su-34, Su-25SM3, MiG-31K
In addition to the situation in occu- control over navigation in the Sea of with hypersonic "Kinzhal" system as
pied Crimea, the tense security situa- Azov and displayed its ability to place well as helicopters of various modi-
tion in the Azov-Black Sea region also our country under a blockade. fications). In total, about 330 combat
raises concerns. In fact, the airspace and waters of airplanes and 230 helicopters are
This region, given the geopolitical the Sea of Azov have been patrolled deployed at base airfields near the
and economic factors, is of particular on a regular basis by maritime patrol Ukrainian border.
interest to the Russian Federation. To aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet. The The formation of mobilization de-
achieve its own goals in the Azov- practice of closing areas in the Sea of ployment support centers continues,
Black Sea region, Moscow is imple- Azov is being introduced, ostensi- which can allow for the establishment
menting a strategy, the main elements bly under the pretext of conducting of up to 4 combined arms divisions
of which are: combat training activities. Under the (Boguchar, Kamensk-Shakhtinsky,
• increasing the deployment of war- "anti-terrorist" pretext, Ukrainian and Novoozerne/temporary occupied ter-
ships and gunboats in the Black foreign civilian vessels bound for/ ritory of AR Crimea).
and Azov Seas; from Ukrainian ports are detained Thus, as of today, in the vicinity of
• conducting "show of force" exer- and searched by the FSB Coast De- the Ukrainian border there have been
cises involving the imposition of fense Forces. set up three joint task forces capable
14facebook.com: Ukrainian Defense Review
of carrying out surprise offensives in
Ukraine’s territory, pursuing limited
goals without declaring a state of mo-
bilization and with minimum prepa-
rations being made.
Miscellaneous security
aspects
Over the past 6 years, we have
witnessed the Russian Armed Forces
increase the intensity and extent of
its operational and combat training,
which does not imply any additional
security guarantees to neighboring
states.
Special attention should be devot-
ed to issues such as unforeseen mili-
tary activities involving snap (unan-
nounced) exercises and exercises held
at lower than threshold level.
The possibility is not excluded
that, during these exercises, Russia
hides the actual number of personnel
and weapons involved, including the
number of airplane and helicopter Conclusion notes bility, transparency and predictability
sorties and the use of so called "frag- Firstly, I would like to assure you in all participating States, and calls
mentation". that Ukraine is consistent in its policy on all participating States to join this
The non-transparent nature of un- of strict compliance with its obliga- process.
scheduled (snap) exercises increases tions under international treaties and Thirdly and finally, I would like
distrust and military-political tensions agreements in the field of convention- to draw your attention to the need
in the OSCE area of responsibility. al arms control. for developing effective mechanisms
Meanwhile Ukraine is forced to Secondly, Ukraine will continue of international supervision over
fight, repelling military aggression; it its contribution to the process of the military activities conducted by Rus-
strictly adheres to the requirements VD-2011 modernization regarding sian-occupying forces in temporarily
of international treaties and agree- confidence- and security-building occupied areas of eastern Ukraine
ments and fulfills all its international measures and other tools for OSCE and in the Autonomous Republic of
commitments while showing a high influence for promoting military sta- Crimea.
degree of openness and transparency.
Ukraine has currently been one of the
Member States that have been most Major Weapon & Equipment Systems (MW&ES) deployed
active in implementing VD-2011. Out
of a total of 199 activities conducted by the Russian Federation to Crimea, as reported by
by the participating States, Ukraine the Annual Exchange of Military Information under the
has done 29 (or 15 percent) of all the Vienna Document 2011
activities conducted in the territory
of participating States, including 19 Major Weapon &
inspections and 10 evaluations, and Equipment Systems 01.01.2014 01.01.2020 Difference
hosted 18 activities (12 inspections
and 6 evaluations) in its own territory, Battle tanks 0 31 +31
which is equal to almost 10 percent of Armored combat vehicles 117 305 +188
all the activities done. Armored combat vehicles look-alikes 53 62 +9
Beyond that, in order to improve
Artillery gun systems 30 128 +98
regional confidence and security,
Ukraine has consistently abided by Combat aircrafts 22 85 +63
its obligations under bilateral agree- Helicopters 0 34 +34
ments with neighboring countries
Anti-tank guided missile launchers
(Hungary, Slovak Republic, Repub-
permanently/ integrally mounted on 9 39 +30
lics of Poland, Belarus and Roma-
armored vehicles
nia), established under Chapter X
"Regional Measures" of the Vienna TOTAL 231 684 +453
Document.
15stand-off Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
Hybrid War at Sea:
Ukrainian Experience
T
he Ukrainian Navy is an impor- Between 1991 and 2014, the Russian (while Russia itself systematical-
tant actor in conditions of the on- Federation was taking the following hy- ly failed to honor its obligations
going hybrid war at sea that Rus- brid warfare actions in Ukraine’s Crimea under a payment treaty regarding
sia is waging against Ukraine. and other Black Sea littoral areas: the basing of its Black Sea Fleet in
Over the years of confrontation, • An expanded information cam- Crimea).
Ukrainian Navy sailors and commanders paign aimed to discredit Ukraine • Continuous political pressure
alike have learned and gained much expe- in the eyes of leaders of European brought to bear, especially on po-
rience in how to counter hybrid adversary countries, especially members of litical/military policy and decision
tactics and to use available resources and EU and NATO; damage the credi- makers in Ukraine.
capabilities to best effect. But it’s crucial that bility of the government of Ukraine; • Russia’s neglect of international
hybrid tactics be identified and neutralized undermine the morale and psycho- law, especially international mar-
in advance in order to prevent negative ef- logical fitness of the military, secu- itime and humanitarian law, and
fects from such adversary actions. rity, and law enforcement services of Ukraine’s national legislation
personnel. at the time of basing of Russia’s
Background for Russia’s • Continuous economic pressure and Black Sea Fleet in Crimea (in par-
hybrid warfare manipulation against Ukraine, dat- ticular, the illegitimate use of forc-
Hybrid warfare at sea being waged ing back from the unfair partition es, the so called "little green men",
by Russia in Ukraine’s Crimea and of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet be- who weren’t members of the BSF
other Black Sea littoral areas began in tween Ukraine (18.3% ) and Russia personnel and were illegally de-
1991 and assumed its current charac- (81.7%), allegedly in partial com- ployed with arms to the sovereign
ter in 2014-2019, i.e. the years of Rus- pensation for Ukraine’s debt for territory of Ukraine); the block-
sia’s military intervention in Ukraine. natural gas deliveries from Russia ading of Ukrainian Navy deploy-
16facebook.com: Ukrainian Defense Review
ment sites using BSF ships and
mixed tactical groups.
• Russia’s failure to comply with
diplomatic obligations under in-
ternational law and bilateral agree-
ments at the start of Russian mili-
tary incursion in Ukraine and in
follow on periods, in particular, as
it regards responding to diplomatic
notes from Ukraine, etc.
Thus, Russia had created con-
ditions that made it impossible for
the Ukrainian side to adequately re-
spond to Russian threats and actions.
As a result, the Russian Federation
has been able to partially achieve its
strategic objectives - to destabilize
Ukraine and create conditions for
getting it back under Moscow’s po-
litical control. However, the goal of
full-scale destabilization hasn’t been
achieved other than in Crimea and in
some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk
provinces.
Military phase of
confrontation, 2014-2019
From the onset of Russian mili-
tary incursion in Ukraine in February
2014, the Russian Federation has pro-
gressively expanded the hybrid influ-
ence it wielded on the security situa-
tion, especially in the Azov/Black Sea
region.
In 2014, Russian forces, dressed in
unmarked uniforms and using means
of hybrid warfare, illegitimately oc-
cupied the Ukrainian peninsula of Result of a Russian attack against a Ukrainian Navy vessel bound for the Strait of Kerch,
Crimea. While claiming "they were November 2018
not there", they performed strikes
against government forces deployed
in Eastern Ukraine, and in particu-
lar they attacked and destroyed two
Ukrainian border guard boats, one in
August 2014 and another one in June
2015. In the time afterward, Russian
Navy ships and boats staged "shows
of force" maneuvers off Ukraine’s
coast near the city of Mariupol.
At sea, the Adversary is currently
conducting hybrid warfare activities
that combine information attacks,
cyber attacks, and misinformation
of both Ukrainian and international
public with intimidating shows of
force, measures of economic pres-
sure, as well as actions aimed to
worsen social tensions in Ukraine
and to frustrate daily activities of the A large cargo vessel anchored by Russia under the central arc of the Kerch Strait Bridge in order to
Ukrainian Navy. physically block access to the Strait, November 2018
17stand-off Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
Russia employs special hydroacoustic systems for subsurface monitoring in the Black Sea
In order to ensure continued influ- After having allowed two Ukrain- attack from Russian combat chop-
ence over Ukraine, Russia makes an ian military vessels to pass through pers. (6) FSB Special Forces soldiers
extensive use of a "hybrid warfare" the Kerch Strait and into the Sea of assaulted and seized the Ukrainian
technique aimed to disrupt Ukraine’s Azov in September 2018, the Adver- vessels, which were then towed to the
economic activity at sea while simul- sary yet again showed off its "strate- Kerch harbor.
taneously boosting own presence in gy of limited actions" on November In 2019, the Adversary expanded
the Sea of Azov: 25, when it attacked and seized three its hybrid warfare operations in the
• in May 2018, Russia completed the Ukrainian Navy vessels, including Black Sea. Particularly in August, Rus-
construction of the Kerch (more two latest gunboats and a tugboat sia closed for shipping over 25 percent
commonly known as Crimean) with crews. of the Black Sea’s area, thus severely
Bridge, whose fairway arch is too This operation saw the following disrupting international navigation
low for big, Panamax-class bulkers; developments: (1) A Russian border and frustrating the Ukrainian Navy’s
• indiscriminate stoppages and tem- guard ship intentionally stroke and daily operational activities.
porary detentions of merchant rammed into the Ukrainian tugboat In general terms, a review of recent
ships heading to the Azov Sea several times in an attempt to block its developments in the Black Sea and the
ports, resulting in a 20-30% re- course toward the Strait. The tug sus- Sea of Azov allow the following con-
duction in freight turnover at the tained numerous damages to its hull clusions to be reached:
Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and as a result of the ram attacks. (2) The • the Russian Federation is expand-
Berdyansk; Russians then anchored a large cargo ing the use of hybrid warfare
• in 2018, the Adversary country vessel under the Kerch Strait Bridge means and techniques in order to
completed formation of an inter- to physically block access to the strait. wield pressure over Ukraine mil-
agency task force "to protect the (3) The Ukrainian Navy vessels lose itarily, in particular by making a
Kerch (Crimean) Bridge and seize communication with their headquar- hybrid use of newly deployed force
control of the traffic in the Sea ters as a result of Russian electronic groupings;
of Azov and through the Kerch warfare attacks. (4) One of the gun- • when conducting hybrid warfare,
Strait"; boats, the Berdyansk, sustained a the Adversary employs interagen-
• the Russian task force in the Sea of damage to its pilothouse when it cy task forces formed specifically
Azov was, in 2018, reinforced to had taken fire from a Russian vessel for that purpose;
include artillery boats transferred while outside of the 12 nautical mile • by waging hybrid warfare at sea
from the Caspian Fleet. limit area. (5) The vessels came under the Adversely is seeking to dis-
18facebook.com: Ukrainian Defense Review
rupt normal economic activity in
Ukraine and to cause a frustration
of international sea shipping in
Ukraine’s area of responsibility,
and hence to achieve a worsening
of social and economic tensions in
littoral provinces and in Ukraine
overall and to undermine the in-
ternational reputation of Ukraine
insofar as it relates to its ability to
secure compliance with interna-
tional maritime law.
What to expect from Russia
in the future?
At present, the situation in the
temporarily occupied Autonomous
Republic of Crimea, the city of Sev-
astopol, Ukraine’s territorial waters
around Crimea and exclusive (mari-
time) economic zone in the Black Sea,
the Sea of Azov, as well as the Strait An FSB patrol boat performing course blocking maneuvers against a Ukrainian Navy vessel
of Kerch involves Russia’s continued
action as part of its "strategy of lim- partnerships, and bolstering NATO’s its military intervention in Ukraine.
ited actions", based on coordinated defense capabilities in the region. This intervention will be in the form
interagency collaboration. Russia, Expert reviews suggest that the of hybrid warfare influence in order
as before, will maintain permanent Russian Federation is beefing up the to undermine Ukraine's ability to
military and naval presence in are- capabilities of its newly organized in- secure and defend itself, to bring
as adjoining Ukraine, including the teragency/joint task forces deployed Ukraine back under Russia’s polit-
territorial waters of Ukraine, and in Crimea and the Black/Azov Seas, ical control, and to prevent its Eu-
will maintain control of maritime by fielding the forces with the latest ro-Atlantic integration.
economic facilities it has seized from military weapons and equipment sys-
Ukraine. tems tested in real-world combat de- Stepan Yakymiak,
Moreover, in the Black and Azov ployments in Syria. 1st Rank Captain,
Seas, the Russian Federation will con- Thus, expert reviews of the sit- PhD in Defense Studies,
tinue a restrictive posture to frustrate uation in the region suggest that, Assistant Professor,
the daily operations of the Ukrainian in the short to medium term, the Head of the Naval Chair at the
Navy, disrupt normal international Russian Federation will continue National Defense University of Ukraine
traffic in the Ukrainian waters; attain
a reduction in the level of interna-
tional shipping and in freight turno-
ver at Ukrainian seaports, and hence
to achieve a worsening of social and
economic tensions in littoral prov-
inces and in Ukraine overall. An im-
portant factor will be Russia's effort
to foster a negative attitude toward
Ukraine among the international
public, foreign country leaders and
large international businesses, by
portraying it as "being unable to en-
sure the safety of international ship-
ping in its waters".
It is clear that Russia will seek to
militarize Crimea further and to ob-
struct the armed forces and other
institutions of Black Sea members
of NATO from activities for ensur-
ing and enhancing international se-
curity, supporting the objectives of A Black Sea Fleet vessel guarding the security of an offshore drilling rig that Russia illegally seized
NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia from Ukraine during its Crimea annexation campaign
19JSC "Holding company "Ukrspetstechnika" operates in the market of telecommunications and
electronic technologies since 1989. Experience professionals, creative success and talent have
allowed to win a leading position in Ukraine in the design, creation and delivery of a wide range
of sophisticated electronic and other equipment for military and special purpose.
MUZZLE VELOCITY
RADAR SYSTEM
Muzzle velocity radar system is designed to
measure the initial speed of any caliber shell.
The device can be placed in two ways, both on
a tripod and on self-propelled guns or tanks. It
can be integrated into artillery firing systems.
frequency band............Ka-Band
transmitted power........≤ 50 mW
ANTI-UAV GUN velocity range..............10 - 2000 m/s
measurement error.......≤ 0,1%
Radio-electronic gun is designed mainly for shell caliber.................from 4,5mm
counteraction against commercially available power source...............12V
UAVs which may be used to perform acts of
sabotage or terrorist attacks, or simply to overall dimensions........250х170х130 mm
intrude into a private life. As well, this equip- weight.........................up to 10 kg
ment may be used for protecting air fields,
stadiums and places of mass events for
ensuring their security against drones activi-
ties. The employment of the gun is based on
radio jamming of UAV’s navigation channels
(GPS and GLONASS). The effective range of
the signal generated by the gun’s antenna is
up to 5 km. Additionally, the whole field of
interferences to UAV’s navigation channels
up to 2 km in radius may be setup due to
application of omnidirectional antennas of
the system. The low weight of the system
enables using it in the portable version or
transporting it on an ATV, in a vehicle or any
other mobile carrier.RADAR «MALACHITE»
Digital, Interference-proof radar reconnaissance
aircraft and surface targets provides detection,
identification of the origin and transmission of
radar data to consumers automatically.
Targets’ detection range: 400 km.
RADAR «BISKVIT - KB»
Developed jointly with JRC «POLITECHNO-
LOGY», «Biskvit-KB» is meant for radar
reconnaissance of positions of mortars,
multiple-launch rocket systems, high-caliber
weaponry and automatized transmission of
radar data via communication channels to
perspective automated systems. The radar is
performed on the base of digital active
antenna array and can be installed on
vehicles or trailer.
frequency band..........L-Band
detection range..........up to 20 km
COMPLEX «POLONEZ» azimuth range............360°
elevation range..........ap to 40°
Anti-UAV defence mobile complex.
Detection and identification of moving aerial weight.......................80 kg
objects and UAVs, radio spectrum monitor-
ing, identification of UAV’s frequency band
and control commands structure, archiving
data base, automatic transmission of radar
data to Control Center, firing complexes,
combat modules, spot and barrier jamming of
control commands and telemetry, jamming of
GPS\GLONASS navigation receivers of UAV.
Complex «Polonez» includes: reconnaissance
complex «Jab» and jammer complex
«Anklav» combined by common algorithm of
tasks handling with the help of specially
developed software protocols.
Ukraine, 03022, Kyiv M. Maksimovicha str., 2
tel. +38 (044) 257 99 27 | office@usptech.kiev.ua | www.ust.com.uaDefense-industrial transformation Ukrainian Defense Review/April-September 2020
Live in a New Way
Ukraine’s Defense-Industrial Sector is Facing Dramatic
Reforms in how the Defense Industry is Managed and
how Arms Production is Structured and Organized
S
ummer 2020 saw a start to tation of national defense-industrial percent of the Company’s output. Re-
dramatic transformations facing policy priorities. garding the SSAU, the situation is no
Ukraine's national defense- But the fact is that there is much better with only seven of 21 companies
industrial sector. In the country, to manage in the defense-industri- being alive and working. In the Private
there has been established a al realm. The State-owned defense Sector the situation is reversed, with
Ministry for Strategic Industries and a industries group Ukroboronprom production booming, albeit this hap-
long overdue legislation on public defense alone has under its administration pening without due attention or sup-
procurement has been passed. The newly 137 companies (including 21 located port from the Government.
hatched minister has announced radical in Russia-occupied areas in eastern Thus, with the purpose in mind
changes planned for the national defense Ukraine) and the State Space Agency to change this sad situation, the Na-
industry within a few years to come. But of Ukraine (SSAU) has managing au- tional Security and Defense Council
only time will tell how profound, fast and thority over 21 companies. There are (NSDC) decided at its session held
successful the changes will be. several more companies administered in June 2020 to set up a Government
by other Government agencies, in- authority to address defense-industri-
Matters relating to the defense-in- cluding the ministries for internal af- al policy issues. One month later, the
dustrial sector and Government De- fairs and for education and science. In Ministry for Strategic Industries was
fense Procurement Contract (GDPC) Ukraine, more than a half (or over two established pursuant to a Government
had, until now, been the responsi- hundred) military production compa- Decree, with Deputy Prime Minister
bility of a small department at the nies are in the Private Sector. Oleh Urusky placed in charge of the
Ministry for Economic Development, That being said, however, the sit- new ministry on July 16.
Commerce and Agriculture, headed uation in Ukraine's defense industry, Established as a successor to the
by a deputy Minister. But in a country especially its public segment, has been Department of Defense Industry at
where there are as many as 16 defense changing for the worse, this despite the the Ministry of Economy, the new
and security customers, the head of a fact that the GDPC has been increasing ministry is to integrate within itself
small department is very limited in year by year. Ukroboronprom’s figures SC Ukroboronprom, SSAU, State Re-
his ability to exert influence on how suggest that only 27 out of 116 compa- search Institute of Informatization
things are run and done, and espe- nies currently under its management and Economy Modeling, as well as
cially so when it comes to implemen- are actually operating producing 90 State-owned Pavlohrad Chemical
22facebook.com: Ukrainian Defense Review
Plant, a manufacturer of rocket fuel.
A new configuration for the coun-
try’s defense industrial sector was out-
lined in detail by Oleh Urusky, in a
speech to August 12 round table confer-
ence hosted by Ukrinform news agency.
Thus, according to Mr Urusky,
there will be established two state-
owned holding groups to bring to- founding charters. fosters transparent and competitive
gether companies that are currently It is also on plan to encourage the market for defense-related products,
administratively subordinated to the Government to establish an Export works and services, and allows domes-
Ukroboronprom and SSAU, respec- Credit Agency to provide trade fi- tic customers to source products direct-
tively. Before this happens, there will nancing to domestic arms manufac- ly from import markets.
be identified companies across indus- turing companies for their export In addition, the legislation intro-
tries to lead industry clusters in their market activities. It is assumed that duces a three-year cycle in planning
respective areas of expertise. This will this will facilitate the export market for arms procurement programs and
be followed by company corporiza- for Ukraine’s arms manufacturers and provides for Government support
tion process, with the Government in- allied industries. measures for the domestic defense in-
itially holding 100 percent ownership Another area of reform is the cre- dustries, both public and private.
of the companies. ation of a defense technology agency The law allows international de-
In the future, Ukroboronprom will akin to the U.S. DARPA. This new fense technology suppliers to be invit-
be re-organized into a state-owned Research & Development entity could ed to bid for contracts, provided that
holding company with whole differ- be created centered around organi- there is a higher priority given to (1)
ent functions and responsibilities. The zations such as the Central Scientific bidders who offer products localized
company will be renamed, tentatively Research Institute of Weaponry and for production in Ukraine’s customs
"Ukrainian Defense Systems". The new Equipment Systems, the National territory and to (2) bidders with more
holding will manage equities in its con- Academy of Sciences’ Division of Ap- favorable bids in terms of MRO ser-
stituent companies. There is talk about plied Sciences and the State Research vicing of the equipment supplied.
five to eight business associations – Institute of Informatization and Econ- So, we can see from the preced-
holding companies to be set up based omy Modeling. This would be helpful ing comments that Ukraine’s defense
on specific areas of industrial expertise to formulate a new vision of future industry is on the verge of major re-
and competencies: precision-guided development priorities for Ukraine's forms that the newly founded Min-
weapons, radar systems, shipbuilding, defense industry. istry for Strategic Industries expects
specialty chemicals, ammunition, and Beyond that, incentives to facilitate will be brought to fruition within a
armored combat vehicles. defense industry growth and devel- few years’ timeframe. That being said,
In addition to Ukrainian Defense opment are contained in the recently there is an ambition that the reforms
Systems, there will be established a adopted legislation on "Public Defense be carried out quickly enough so that
holding group that will bring togeth- Procurement" that President Volody- to yield their expected results before
er SSAU-run companies and public myr Zelensky enacted on August 12. the next presidential election. But this
businesses engaged in the aircraft The legislation includes measures that will depend on a fusion of multiple
building industry. This second group, are long overdue. Thus, it introduces factors, the most important being the
to be known as Ukrainian Aerospace the term "life cycle" for concerted effort by the legislative and
Systems, will be comprised of two use in the context of executive branches and SDCU; timely
holding-type entities, one of them weaponry and military adoption of requisite regulatory legal
Antonov Company and the other the equipment systems, acts, such as a law on corporatization
holdings group "Space Rocket Center and makes provisions in the defense industry; and the need
Pivdenny". that new defense and for company managers and executives
Ukrainian Defense Systems and military technologies to be really willing and interested in
Ukrainian Aerospace Systems will be be officially tested innovations, game-changing practic-
both placed under the administration and qualified by the es, and learning how to compromise
of the Ministry for Strategic Indus- same procedures with each other.
tries, excepting licensed arms dealers as used by NATO
who will be removed from nations. On top of
under the admin- that, the legislation
istration of SC
Ukrobonroprom
and will oper-
ate within the
functions and
purposes defined
in their respec- tive
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