Ukraine's MoD and Brave1 launch grant competitions for air-to-air missiles and domestic radars to cut the cost of intercepting jet drones

Scope of the grants and the minister's requirements

According to the ministry, the grants target manufacturers in the Brave1 cluster and aim to counter air targets, reduce the cost of intercepting jet-powered drones and develop Ukrainian radar production. A grant competition for turbojet engines was announced as the next step. Khmara listed the main threats as ballistic missiles, cheap cruise missiles, high-speed UAVs and guided aerial bombs, and set the requirements as "effectiveness, affordability, interoperability between systems, and sufficient supply volumes".

The release gives no grant amounts, number of awards or timelines, so this is the launch of a competition rather than a contract or a deployment. Earlier Brave1 rounds had flagged anti-glide-bomb systems and radars as priorities; this round extends the agenda to guided air-to-air weapons. Domestic navigation, stronger electronic warfare and radars for low-signature targets are also sought.

Claims about automated turrets and how far they are verified

Brave1 said on 29 October that "in the last month alone, automated turrets have destroyed dozens of enemy drones over Kyiv" and had become "an integral part of air defense". Reporting identifies the systems as turrets such as Sky Sentinel mounting the 12.7 mm M2 machine gun, costing about $150,000 each, with automated aiming while a human authorises firing. President Zelensky had disclosed in early October that more than a dozen were deployed around Kyiv with eight more planned.

The "dozens" figure is a ministry and Brave1 claim, with no breakdown by drone type and no evidence on effectiveness against jet-powered drones. The "60-plus" kills credited to the privately funded air-defence project is the same figure the ministry gave on 14 October, so it is unclear whether it has been updated. The claims come from a reliable official source but lack independent confirmation, hence a reliability rating of B3.

Layering low-cost interception, and European funding

The mismatch between the unit cost of interceptor missiles and that of attack drones is worsening as Russia expands production and launch sites for jet-powered drones; Ukraine's intelligence directorate had earlier reported construction of a launch complex capable of 100 jet drones a day. Layering interception is therefore an urgent task. The European Commission's second SAFE round, which prioritises counter-drone capabilities and encourages joint procurement with Ukraine, could complement the domestic grants as a funding channel.