Ukraine signed a statement of intent with the U.S. government on joint arms production and priority exchange of technical data.

The news was made public by the press service of the U.S. Department of Defense.

On Wednesday, December 6, U.S. and Ukrainian officials signed a statement of intent to jointly produce critical weapons and prioritize technical data exchange to meet the urgent needs of Ukraine’s armed forces.

This includes cooperation in the production of air defense systems, repair and maintenance, and ammunition.

The statement was signed during the Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference in Washington, D.C., which brought together industry and government representatives from both countries.

Discussions at the conference include areas of potential collaboration between the U.S., Ukrainian government, and industry partners on ways to advance best practices that can lead to long-term success, along with increased investments in Ukraine’s defense sector.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin noted that domestic production of military equipment is key to Ukraine’s ability to maintain sovereignty within its borders.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense emphasized that the advancements implemented through industry partnerships will open pathways for Ukraine to produce spare parts closer to the point of need and more swiftly return repaired military equipment to the frontlines.

“We must also strengthen the logistical and information technology systems that bind all of these efforts together — a robust and resilient industrial base that has hot production lines with strong, secure supply chains,” Austin emphasized.

Western defense giants and the Ukrainian market

Militarnyi previously reported that the Ukroboronprom State Concern and the German defense concern Rheinmetall have created a joint venture for tank repair in Ukraine.

According to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, the cooperation would initially cover maintenance and repair of armored vehicles in Ukraine, while the production of tanks would be prepared simultaneously.

Also in May of this year, the international defense company BAE Systems announced the opening of an office and the deployment of weapons production and repair facilities in Ukraine.