Bundes Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) presented the first drone from the company Quantum Systems to President Volodymyr Sel Skiy of Ukraine at a ceremony in Gauting just before the opening of the Munich Security Conference.
Pistorius said the production site – a joint venture between Germany and Ukraine that manufactures drones exclusively for the Ukrainian armed forces – had already begun production. “We expect to produce 10 000 units this year, and the trend is upward” he explained. The minister received the drone “in a symbolic way” and handed it to Sel Skiy.
He highlighted the rapid start of the project, noting that the contracts were signed in October and production is now underway.
Pistorius also pointed out the mutual benefits: the Ukrainian military gains weapons for its fight against Russia, while the Ukrainian and German defence industries – and European forces more broadly – learn from Ukrainian combat experience and the large amounts of data generated. These lessons could accelerate the development of future drone technology.
