Shortage of drones in brigades: Director of the Defense Procurement Agency explained the problem
Kyiv • UNN
Procurement agencies have increased the volume of drone purchases, but brigades receive them with a delay. Often they receive not what they ordered, due to changes in needs in different directions.
Despite the increase in UAV contracting, there are frequent reports of inadequate drone provision to brigades. The problem is that the drones ordered by the units arrive late. This was stated by the Director of the Defense Procurement Agency, Arsen Zhumadilov, on the telethon, reports UNN.
Details
The problem is that the drones ordered by the units arrive with a very large lag, i.e. late. They order them, for example, today, and may receive them in three months, or in six months from when they ordered them. Also, sometimes they do not receive what they ordered. For example, if a unit is in one direction today and certain frequencies are relevant there, after a while the unit may be moved to another direction and other frequencies are already relevant there. And the drones he receives are those that he ordered while still at the previous location
Therefore, according to him, this means that despite the fact that the volume of contracting and supply of drones has been significantly increased, the consumer still does not receive what he wants in sufficient quantity and quality.
Yes, Zhumadilov wrote on Facebook that in the current year, in five months of work, the AOZ contracted three times more UAVs than in the entire last year.
Almost twice as many goods have been delivered. At the same time, there are frequent reports of inadequate drone provision to brigades
Zhumadilov stressed that the problem is in the structure.
So the problem is not the volume, but the structure. We are trying to work on the structure to change it in order to solve this
Zhumadilov reported on Facebook that a presentation of the updated UAV procurement model was held the other day for manufacturers and a step-by-step explanation of how the relevant procurement area will develop further was presented. According to him, there are three main models:
- Competitive procurement in the Prozorro electronic system
for drones through the framework tool. Relevant
tactical and technical characteristics have already been developed and are currently being discussed with the military
and market participants;
- Conclusion of contracts, orders for which
will be formed by combat units directly from manufacturers. In fact, the relevant
DOT-Chain Defense digital environment will become a marketplace for drones purchased
centrally at the expense of the state budget. Units will have more flexibility,
and delivery times will be reduced to a matter of weeks;
Planned timeline: first requests for price offers for FPV drones within the framework agreements on Prozorro - June; launch of DOT-Chain Defense in several pilot units for ordering FPV drones - June. Further scaling - Q3 2025
- the third model is the current one. The specification for the procurement
of specific unmanned vehicles is formed by the military, brought to the
contracting of the AOZ.
Addition
Presidential Adviser on Strategic Issues Oleksandr Kamyshin stated that Ukraine is able to produce enough drones on fiber optics for the Defense Forces.