U.S. defense industrial cooperation with Ukraine will include co-production of weapons and munitions, and technical data exchanges, the White House said Wednesday night after the first day of a conference focused on strengthening defense industrial base cooperation between the two countries.
The Defense Department and Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and Ministry for Strategic Industries signed a Statement of Intent on Co-Production and Technical Data Exchange to “address the urgent operational needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including in the areas of air defense systems, repair and sustainment, and production of critical munitions,” a Dec. 6 White House fact sheet says.
The increased cooperation “will facilitate the quicker movement of investment deals more quickly through these systems,” the fact sheet says.
Earlier on Wednesday, a State Department official outlined a new Ukraine Deal Team comprised of DoD, Commerce and State Department officials that will help smooth the path for U.S. companies looking to do business with Ukraine’s defense sector (Defense Daily, Dec. 6). The deal team will be a “one-stop shop when you encounter regulatory bumps in the road when looking to invest in Ukraine’s defense industrial base,” Penny Pritzker, Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, said at the conference.
The White House also said that DoD and industry partners have already given Ukraine technical data to begin local production of FrankenSAM projects, which allows Ukraine to integrate some Western munitions with the country’s legacy air defense systems.
“Parallel production of these systems in Ukraine and in the United States will allow for faster fielding and enable Ukraine to contribute significantly to the sustainment of its air defense systems,” the White House says.
Air defense systems are a critical ongoing need for Ukraine as the country is constantly fending off Russian attacks on its cities, critical infrastructure, and military assets. The U.S. and allies have provided the Ukraine with a range of air defense systems in addition to the country’s legacy equipment to protect against enemy aircraft, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and large and small drones.
Pritzker also said that with congressional approval, the State Department plans to embed an adviser in Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries. The White House says this adviser will “support and accelerate Ukraine’s transition to an interoperable military force, combat corruption, and attract foreign investment in critical industries.”
The two-day U.S.-Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference was held in Washington, D.C.