Romanian firms proposed for drone production partnership with Ukraine

Five Romanian companies have been proposed to manufacture drones in partnership with Ukrainian entities through the European SAFE (Security Action for Europe) financing instrument. The program operates with a total budget of 200 million euros.

The selected Romanian firms include Autonomous Flight Technologies (AFT), OVES Enterprise, Orbotix Industries, BraveX, and Qognifly. They are set to collaborate with Ukrainian manufacturers Greentech, General Cherry, and Edrone. This initiative follows bilateral cooperation meetings held in Bucharest to address the need for domestic interceptor drones, particularly as Romania faces airspace incursions by Russian Shahed-type drones. Utilizing traditional fighter jets for such interceptions is noted as financially unsustainable for long-term defense.