The Defence Procurement Agency has launched its first procurement tenders for unmanned ground vehicles based on tactical and technical characteristics set by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. The procurement covers two main platform types for combat and logistical missions. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
The state agency has opened competitive bidding procedures to procure two types of unmanned ground systems. The first category comprises logistical platforms intended for cargo transport, troop resupply, and the evacuation of wounded personnel. The second category includes strike systems designed to engage targets on the front line.
The robotic systems must operate effectively across rough terrain, maintain reliable remote communications, and stream real-time video and telemetry back to operators. Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainian military forces have carried out over 100,000 missions using such ground drones.
Participation Requirements and Order Allocation
Manufacturers and suppliers with at least one codified product in the ground drone category are invited to participate. Bidding takes place within a secure environment that adheres to all defense procurement security protocols.
The items are categorized by payload capacity and operational range, with four or five lots in each class. Procurement rules restrict any single supplier from receiving more than 50% of the total order volume within a single class.
“Such an approach will allow us to involve several manufacturers in delivery and create more opportunities for competition between them,” said Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Mstyslav Banik.
Frontline Supply and Competitive Bidding
The defence ministry emphasized that robotic platforms have become essential tools on the battlefield, performing high-risk tasks without exposing troops to unnecessary danger. Shifting to competitive tenders allows the ministry to use budget funds more efficiently and reduce supply interruption risks by diversifying contractors.
“A tender is one of the best tools for this, as it allows us to buy more systems for the same funds and minimize the risk of delivery failures by splitting the order among multiple manufacturers,” Mstyslav Banik stated.
Earlier, the agency launched competitive tenders for fiber-optic-guided FPV drones and deep-strike UAVs using similar procurement procedures.
Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
