Western arms makers race to keep up in Ukraine

Western defense companies are lining up to test drones, robots and electronic warfare systems on Ukraine’s battlefields through the state-backed “Test in Ukraine” program—an effort driven as much by urgency as by proof of combat performance.

Kyiv’s battlefield is turning into a proving ground—and Western defense companies are trying to get there before their technology becomes yesterday’s problem.

Through the state-backed “Test in Ukraine” program. which began in July 2025. hundreds of international companies have applied to bring defense products into Ukraine. test them in realistic combat conditions. and receive feedback from Ukrainian troops. The goal is practical: get systems evaluated under pressure, then learn what to change fast.

Andrii Hrytseniuk. CEO of the Ukrainian innovation platform Brave1. said that dozens of companies are already testing their systems in Ukraine “right now. ” including on the battlefield. “And the number of companies is increasing,” he said, adding that interest runs from major defense firms to small startups.

Ukraine has become the No. 1 country in the world for drone usage. Hrytseniuk said. and since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. the country has developed cutting-edge expertise in robotics and autonomous systems. In his telling, battlefield necessity has been rewritten into a fast-moving defense industry that Western militaries are now studying closely.

Under “Test in Ukraine. ” foreign defense companies that secure a permit can have their technologies evaluated at a proving ground in near-combat conditions. The testing can be done directly, or by allowing Ukraine to run the testing. Brave1 then connects the companies with soldiers who can use battlefield experience to recommend changes. and some companies also receive data and feedback from front-line use.

Hrytseniuk said the process gives companies a chance to say their products have been tested—and in some cases, combat-proven in Ukraine.

One of the clearest examples involves a British startup, Occam Industries. Occam, which develops AI software for drones, came to Ukraine with European-made systems. A company representative said the software worked in early tests, but the equipment carrying it was not well-suited for the front line.

Brave1 connected Occam with Ukrainian manufacturers building for combat. Occam’s software is now paired with Ukrainian-made drones and headed to the battlefield. Occam said that through testing with Brave1, it was able to “quickly move from what doesn’t work to what does.”

The frustration for many Western firms isn’t only access—it’s speed.

Oleksii Vyskub. Ukraine’s first deputy defense minister. said that while more Western firms are looking to test their products in Ukraine. many are still not built for speed. Through a translator, he said Ukrainian drones are often updated every three months before being sent back into combat. Many Western companies, he said, operate on slower development cycles and make changes only after extensive testing and review.

Vyskub did not name specific companies, but said he could think of only one Western company ready to “work in Ukrainian realities” and match Ukraine’s development tempo. “With the majority of the companies, it takes a lot of time for them to develop a drone,” he said.

He argued that Western defense companies aren’t driven by the same wartime urgency that Ukraine is—meaning some may test in Ukraine but still spend months refining their products. risking obsolescence as the battlefield keeps changing. For companies serious about understanding what soldiers need, Vyskub said they should have full-time representatives in Ukraine.

The tension is visible in the structure of the program itself: permits, proving-ground evaluations in near-combat conditions, connections to soldiers, and feedback loops that can translate into changes before the next push.

That urgency has also helped spread demand for Ukrainian know-how beyond its borders. Ukrainian interceptor drones developed in response to worsening Russian air attacks have seen surging global interest in response to Russian activities in Europe and the Iran war. where Tehran launched waves of drones across the Middle East.

Ukraine has also signed drone and security deals with NATO and Middle Eastern countries this spring. The movement underscores how its defense technology has become a must-have for countries trying to adapt to fast-changing drone warfare.

In an address last month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv “is not just keeping up with the change” but is “among the leaders in the development of security technologies.” He added: “Our Ukrainian security experience and our military expertise are now the most sought-after products for dozens of countries worldwide.”.

Ukraine Test in Ukraine Brave1 Western defense companies drones electronic warfare robotics autonomous systems Occam Industries drone warfare NATO deals Zelenskyy