Two U.S. companies and one Ukrainian team were named winners of the NATO Innovation Challenge 2025-II, an international competition focused on countering FPV drones with fiber-optic control. The winners will have the opportunity to further develop their solutions in collaboration with NATO-affiliated institutions.
The final round of the hackathon took place in Tallinn, Estonia, featuring 11 teams from Ukraine, Denmark, Italy, Canada, Lithuania, Poland, the U.S., and France. The expert jury included representatives from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, JATEC, and NATO.
First place went to KMB Telematics Inc. (USA), second to Sentradel (USA), and third to the Ukrainian company DONS.
“Participation of Ukrainian companies in NATO innovation hackathons is crucial for accelerating miltech development, as it helps align our technical requirements with Alliance standards,” said Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Valerii Churkin. “Through the JATEC platform, we not only integrate combat experience into scalable solutions but also ensure interoperability for battlefield dominance.”
The NATO Innovation Challenge hackathon was organized by the NATO–Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC), in cooperation with NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).
During the event’s opening, Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), emphasized the need for a shift from static to dynamic thinking, saying,
“Everything is moving fast—we must adapt.”
This year’s competition saw a record 162 technical proposals submitted, including 42 from Ukrainian teams—highlighting the resilience and strength of Ukraine’s miltech and engineering sectors amid full-scale war.
“There is no better way to foster innovation than by applying real combat experience. The solutions developed within this Innovation Challenge are shaped by the military and aim to save lives,” emphasized Brigadier General Wojciech Ozga, Commander of JATEC.
