Currently, the Brave1 defense cluster includes over two thousand developments, and companies involved in this field have received grants totaling nearly 5 million dollars. Additionally, a new direction related to missiles will start this year.
This was reported by the Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, during the Brave1 Precision hackathon.
"More than 2,000 developments have been identified by Brave1. We have issued grants to various companies totaling nearly five million dollars. We also have a special project, which I won't talk about just yet, but it is related to missile programmes. This year, there will be hundreds of grants for companies working in this area. We are transitioning from supporting small startups to supporting entire strategic directions in our fight," the minister said.
He also spoke about the markets that have been opened during the cluster's activities, emphasizing that it’s not just about drones.
"We have successfully expanded beyond drones to include electronic warfare (EW) and ground platforms. This is now happening with AI-guided (artificial intelligence) systems, and we are already seeing a large number of companies integrating with firms developing drones. We are seeing competition in the drone direction, and we have started large-scale contracting in this area," Fedorov said.
He also mentioned that Brave1 is actively testing and working with manufacturers on laser guidance systems for drones.
"This also applies to artillery: guidance and correction of artillery with the help of drones. These are smart munitions. If we can improve artillery efficiency by 5-10-20%, it can be a game-changer in certain areas of the front," the minister said.
Fedorov added that developers are actively using foreign products and programming to improve the accuracy and speed of weaponry.
Overall, according to the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, more than 200 innovators from 60 teams participated in the hackathon. Twelve of them reached the finals and received funding for product development.
They presented:
- Enhanced guidance systems;
- Sensor integration and data analysis;
- Smart munitions;
- Simulators and training software;
- Autonomous and semi-autonomous systems.
"These solutions will improve the accuracy of strikes against the enemy, and the results will be seen in reports on damaged equipment. Participants tested their developments at a training ground. Brave1 will continue working with all finalist teams to ensure that the military receives ready-made developments as soon as possible and starts using them against the enemy," the minister wrote on Telegram.
Brave1 Cluster
On April 26, 2023, the Defense Tech cluster Brave1 was launched in Ukraine. It became a single platform for cooperation between military technology developers, companies, the state, and the army. The platform aims to increase the production of weapons and equipment.
On March 3, 2024, Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that the Brave1 defense technology cluster had funded 173 grants totaling 3 million dollars for developers creating innovations in the field of armaments.
Recent Ground Unmanned Technologies Developments in the Brave1 Cluster
In November 2023, Mykhailo Fedorov reported that participants in the Brave1 defense cluster had created the UGV Sirko-S1 universal ground robot for the military. The machine can transport cargo, evacuate wounded, and conduct reconnaissance of enemy positions.
On January 5, 2024, Fedorov announced that experts were testing the ground unmanned robot D-21-11, which can conduct reconnaissance, as well as defend or assault positions.
At the end of February, Fedorov informed that participants in the Brave1 cluster had developed the remotely controlled FoxTac transporter for evacuating wounded soldiers from the battlefield.
