Ukraine is engaged in active negotiations regarding obtaining licenses for the production of long-range weapons on its own territory, in particular French SCALP cruise missiles. This was stated by Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology Mykhailo Fedorov during a joint briefing with Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus.
According to the official, the issue of transferring licenses for the production of SCALP missiles was raised during the recent visit of the President of Ukraine to France. Detailed discussions are currently ongoing both with the French government and with the manufacturer.
“I can say that during our President’s visit to France there was a very good conversation with Macron about the possibility of sharing SCALP missile licenses with our country, and now discussions are continuing both with the government and with the company on this matter, all details are being clarified. There is indeed progress, but it is too early to speak definitively, because this is a complex process involving intellectual property, the establishment of production, and so on; there is certain bureaucracy involved,” Fedorov noted.
He also added that following the G7 summit and the adoption of a declaration on the development of air defense, relevant consultations on weapons licensing are also ongoing with American partners at the level of the National Security and Defense Council. In addition to legal aspects, there are also a number of technical challenges related to the supply of components and system integration.
Despite expectations of Western technologies, Ukraine continues to scale up the production of its own missiles and systems for long-range strikes. Fedorov emphasized the critical importance of financial support from allies for Ukrainian defense-tech developers.
