Funding for turbojet engine developers will be the next stage of the grant program
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Brave1 cluster, is launching grant competitions for developers of air-to-air guided missiles and domestic radar systems. Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced this during an address to defence tech cluster participants. On October 30, 2026, plans were revealed to engage manufacturers in creating technologies to counter aerial threats. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
The key goals of the new grant program are providing the Security and Defence Forces with effective means to strike air targets, reducing the cost of intercepting jet drones, and expanding domestic radar production. Grant funding will serve as a tool to support technological solutions that can later be rapidly scaled for defence needs.
The next step by defence agencies will be a similar grant competition for developers of turbojet engines. The Brave1 program aims to accelerate the delivery of new technologies capable of countering modern aerial challenges on the front lines.
Military Requirements for Ukrainian Defence Sector
The Head of the Defence Ministry emphasized that the main threats currently include ballistic missiles, low-cost cruise missiles, high-speed UAVs, and guided aerial bombs. The defence industrial complex is expected to develop indigenous navigation solutions, electronic warfare systems, and radars to detect low-observable targets.
“Our requirements are clear: efficiency, affordable cost, system interoperability, and sufficient supply volumes,” noted Yevhenii Khmara. He stressed the need to combine efforts between the state, the military, and private developers.
Countering Guided Aerial Bombs
A separate priority task for cluster participants is finding effective solutions to counter Russian guided aerial bombs and reduce their operational effectiveness. According to the minister, the defence sector requires asymmetric technologies that enable proactive measures and shift the rules of the game in Ukraine’s favor.
The Brave1 cluster continues to test other technological solutions for the front lines. Previously, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, extensive testing was conducted on UAVs equipped with AI-guided terminal homing systems.
Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
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