Finnish defence company Patria has signed a letter of intent with Ukrainian drone manufacturer General Cherry, Patria announced on its official website.
As part of the cooperation, the Finnish company plans to launch drone production in Finland. The two companies intend to jointly develop unmanned systems for the defence needs of Western European countries.
General Cherry specialises in the development and serial production of strike FPV drones, fibre-optic-controlled drones, interceptor drones and fixed-wing UAVs.
Patria said the cooperation will combine the Ukrainian company’s expertise in small unmanned aerial systems with the Finnish defence manufacturer’s technology and industrial experience.
“Unmanned defence systems will play a central role in the future of defence,” said Mikko Leino, Executive Vice President at Patria.
According to General Cherry co-founder Stanislav Hryshyn, combining Ukrainian combat experience with Patria’s technological capabilities could contribute to strengthening European and global security.
Ukrainian combat technologies are increasingly moving into production in Europe and being integrated into the manufacturing capabilities of European defence companies. The partnership gives the Ukrainian manufacturer an opportunity to scale its technologies using the production base of a major European defence company.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also announced the agreement during a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is visiting Kyiv. The two presidents took part in a roundtable discussion on Ukrainian-Finnish cooperation in the defence industry.
“Our companies have signed documents on the development and production of drones in Finland for the needs of Ukraine and Europe, expanding capabilities in maritime unmanned systems, and establishing a facility to manufacture unmanned ground systems,” Zelensky said.
Patria is an international defence and technology company with more than 100 years of experience in the sector. It operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Japan. Patria is owned by the Finnish state (50.1%) and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (49.9%).
