MILAN — Ukraine’s defense technology hub Brave1 and NATO have launched a joint innovation grant program aimed at supporting defense firms, with the initial funding round targeting counter‑drone solutions for FPV and Shahed‑type unmanned aerial vehicles.
Applications for the initiative — billed as the first joint innovation grant program — are open to companies based in Ukraine and any NATO member state. The call for proposals began on Tuesday.
Each partner can receive up to €500 million (approximately $569.6 million) to support joint ventures that pair a Ukrainian company with a firm from a NATO member nation.
Brave1 has identified five priority areas for the program: active protection systems against FPV drones, affordable counter‑Shahed solutions, electromagnetic support for signals intelligence, electromagnetic attack capabilities targeting FPVs, and high‑altitude platforms.
Although Ukraine possesses extensive battlefield experience with drones, deploying these technologies effectively remains challenging given the volume of unmanned systems Russia fields in successive waves.
The London‑based Institute for the Study of War reported that, between July 25 and July 26, Russian forces launched one KH‑59 cruise missile, seven Iskander‑M/S‑400 ballistic missiles, and 136 drones against Ukraine.
In a recent interview with Breaking Defense, a Skyfall representative noted that Russia is turning to jet‑propelled Shahed drones for strikes inside Ukraine and using standard Shaheds as a substitute for long‑range artillery.
