Ukraine, Norway to Launch Joint Combat Drone Production Line in 2026

Ukraine and Norway will jointly produce drones for defense needs.

Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, announced this after signing the relevant agreement with Tore Sandvik, Norway’s Minister of Defense.

According to the Minister, this decision marks a key step in developing defense cooperation and will significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. One of the main goals of the partnership is to expand production capacity and ensure a stable supply of modern drones for the Ukrainian military.

In the next two years, the countries plan to launch a pilot production line, with the launch expected in 2026. At the same time, the sides will work to scale up production and expand technological capabilities.

Ukraine will share its experience, technologies, and developments in the field of unmanned systems with its Norwegian partners. Norway, in turn, will provide the production base and involve leading research institutions, enabling full-fledged engineering and design cooperation.

In his statement, Shmyhal emphasizes that this project represents a new format of cooperation with partners – a model aimed not only at supporting Ukraine but also at strengthening the defense capabilities of all countries of the free world. The Ukrainian side thanked Norway for its consistent support and for its readiness to engage in strategic cooperation.

A similar cooperation model is currently being implemented with the United Kingdom, where a few days ago, Ukraine and the UK signed a licensing agreement for the large-scale production of Octopus interceptor drones at British facilities.

The interceptor drones produced will be delivered to Ukraine to strengthen its defense against Russian unmanned aircraft used by the occupiers to attack Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.

The Octopus project is being implemented as a joint defense-industrial initiative: the United Kingdom has received a license to mass-produce the Ukrainian interceptor, and Ukraine will receive these drones to enhance its interception capabilities.

Meanwhile, in October, Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, announced that the United Kingdom plans to establish production of about 2,000 interceptor drones per month for Ukraine.

He noted that the production of interceptor drones will initially be located in the United Kingdom and organized in a flexible manner to respond to changing battlefield needs.

In addition to Ukraine, at the end of September, UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced that the interceptor drones to be manufactured in the United Kingdom under the Octopus project will become the foundation of a European “drone wall” to counter Russian unmanned aircraft.