Latest news with #Tekever
Business Insider
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
If drone companies don't have their kit on the frontline in Ukraine they 'might as well give up,' says UK minister
Drone warfare is evolving fast in Ukraine, where companies can test their products in real time. UK and Ukraine officials have stressed the importance of a battlefield presence for drone companies. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said: "You might as well give up" if you aren't in Ukraine. This means that it's increasingly vital for those looking to develop the tech to have a presence there. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said on Wednesday: "If you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up." Pollard, who was addressing the Drone Summit 2025 in Latvia, added that "we can see the effectiveness of Western drone technology in the hands of brilliant operators in Ukraine." Valerii Churkin, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, echoed Pollard's remarks, saying that defense tech manufacturers must have a physical presence in Ukraine. He also told the summit that drones can take too long to reach Ukraine, and that "we need to switch fully to a wartime production approach: fast, simple, scalable." "Most importantly, decisions must be based on real battlefield experience, not from spreadsheets," he said. European defense companies, including Portugal's Tekever, Lithuania's RSI Europe, and Estonia's Milrem Robots, are among those rapidly adapting to the demands of the battlefield in Ukraine. Kuldar Vrsi, the CEO of Milrem Robots, which develops military robotics and autonomous systems, told Business Insider that his company updates its products based on their performance in Ukraine. "What we have learned and changed and implemented in our systems is everything related to EW, communication, and cyber," he said. "This is a totally different environment than in peacetime training or exercise environment." Milrem Robots has a team that regularly visits Ukraine, meeting with different military units and working directly with operators responsible for their equipment. "We listen to Ukrainian troops very carefully and try to analyze and synthesize," he added. And it's about to take its on-the-ground involvement one step further, with a team based in Ukraine to "be closer to Ukrainian forces and to support them even better," Vrsi said. Tomas Milaauskas, the CEO of RSI Europe, told BI that "our mission is very simple. To produce the military equipment that helps Ukraine win." More than 100 drone companies, alongside military officials and government ministers, gathered in Latvia for the one-day summit. Ruben Brekelmans, the Netherlands' defense minister, told those present that drones had "fundamentally changed modern warfare," calling them "the most important innovation in the defense domain."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
If drone companies don't have their kit on the frontline in Ukraine they 'might as well give up,' says UK minister
Drone warfare is evolving fast in Ukraine, where companies can test their products in real time. UK and Ukraine officials have stressed the importance of a battlefield presence for drone companies. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said: "You might as well give up" if you aren't in Ukraine. Drone warfare is evolving at breakneck speed, with Ukraine's battlefields becoming a testing ground where the most innovative defense tech companies can refine their products in real war conditions. This means that it's increasingly vital for those looking to develop the tech to have a presence there. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said on Wednesday: "If you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up." Pollard, who was addressing the Drone Summit 2025 in Latvia, added that "we can see the effectiveness of Western drone technology in the hands of brilliant operators in Ukraine." Valerii Churkin, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, echoed Pollard's remarks, saying that defense tech manufacturers must have a physical presence in Ukraine. He also told the summit that drones can take too long to reach Ukraine, and that "we need to switch fully to a wartime production approach: fast, simple, scalable." "Most importantly, decisions must be based on real battlefield experience, not from spreadsheets," he said. European defense companies, including Portugal's Tekever, Lithuania's RSI Europe, and Estonia's Milrem Robots, are among those rapidly adapting to the demands of the battlefield in Ukraine. Kuldar Väärsi, the CEO of Milrem Robots, which develops military robotics and autonomous systems, told Business Insider that his company updates its products based on their performance in Ukraine. "What we have learned and changed and implemented in our systems is everything related to EW, communication, and cyber," he said. "This is a totally different environment than in peacetime training or exercise environment." Milrem Robots has a team that regularly visits Ukraine, meeting with different military units and working directly with operators responsible for their equipment. "We listen to Ukrainian troops very carefully and try to analyze and synthesize," he added. And it's about to take its on-the-ground involvement one step further, with a team based in Ukraine to "be closer to Ukrainian forces and to support them even better," Väärsi said. Tomas Milašauskas, the CEO of RSI Europe, told BI that "our mission is very simple. To produce the military equipment that helps Ukraine win." More than 100 drone companies, alongside military officials and government ministers, gathered in Latvia for the one-day summit. Ruben Brekelmans, the Netherlands' defense minister, told those present that drones had "fundamentally changed modern warfare," calling them "the most important innovation in the defense domain." "Every day we learn new things from our collaboration with Ukraine," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
If drone companies don't have their kit on the frontline in Ukraine they 'might as well give up,' says UK minister
Drone warfare is evolving at breakneck speed, with Ukraine's battlefields becoming a testing ground where the most innovative defense tech companies can refine their products in real war conditions. This means that it's increasingly vital for those looking to develop the tech to have a presence there. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said on Wednesday: "If you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up." Pollard, who was addressing the Drone Summit 2025 in Latvia, added that "we can see the effectiveness of Western drone technology in the hands of brilliant operators in Ukraine." Valerii Churkin, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, echoed Pollard's remarks, saying that defense tech manufacturers must have a physical presence in Ukraine. He also told the summit that drones can take too long to reach Ukraine, and that "we need to switch fully to a wartime production approach: fast, simple, scalable." "Most importantly, decisions must be based on real battlefield experience, not from spreadsheets," he said. European defense companies, including Portugal's Tekever, Lithuania's RSI Europe, and Estonia's Milrem Robots, are among those rapidly adapting to the demands of the battlefield in Ukraine. Kuldar Väärsi, the CEO of Milrem Robots, which develops military robotics and autonomous systems, told Business Insider that his company updates its products based on their performance in Ukraine. "What we have learned and changed and implemented in our systems is everything related to EW, communication, and cyber," he said. "This is a totally different environment than in peacetime training or exercise environment." Milrem Robots has a team that regularly visits Ukraine, meeting with different military units and working directly with operators responsible for their equipment. "We listen to Ukrainian troops very carefully and try to analyze and synthesize," he added. And it's about to take its on-the-ground involvement one step further, with a team based in Ukraine to "be closer to Ukrainian forces and to support them even better," Väärsi said. Tomas Milašauskas, the CEO of RSI Europe, told BI that "our mission is very simple. To produce the military equipment that helps Ukraine win." More than 100 drone companies, alongside military officials and government ministers, gathered in Latvia for the one-day summit. Ruben Brekelmans, the Netherlands' defense minister, told those present that drones had "fundamentally changed modern warfare," calling them "the most important innovation in the defense domain." "Every day we learn new things from our collaboration with Ukraine," he said.
Bloomberg
07-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Role for Private Capital in European Defense says Drone Maker
Private capital is "fundamental" for European defense says Ricardo Mendes, CEO of Lisbon-based drone maker Tekever, as the firm surpasses unicorn status. Technology is evolving in "weekly cycles," but the challenge is remaining innovative whilst scaling, he adds. He speaks with Guy Johnson, Anna Edwards and Kriti Gupta on "Bloomberg: The Opening Trade". This interview occurred on Tuesday, May 6. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Phantom' planes to swarm enemy radar before RAF fighter jets attack
Signal-jamming drones that generate 'phantom' aircraft are set to be deployed by the Royal Air Force to protect manned fighter jets from air defences. Swarms of the British-made StormShroud devices, which fly autonomously, will be sent into contested territory ahead of crewed F-35s and Typhoons to create confusion using cutting-edge electronic warfare systems. They are capable of blinding enemy radar or even simulating fake aircraft by creating 'phantom' electronic signatures, helping the real, manned platforms to go undetected. On Friday, the RAF revealed that StormShroud had entered operational service with 216 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, following a procurement process that lasted just a year. The drone platform is based on Tekever's AR3, which is made in Wales and Southampton, and has been used extensively by Ukrainian forces fighting Russia. The onboard electronic warfare technology, known as BriteStorm, was developed by Leonardo UK engineers in Luton. StormShroud has been rushed into service under the autonomous collaborative platforms programme, which aims to 'revolutionise the RAF's advantage in the most contested battlespaces'. Credit: X/@RoyalAirForce On Friday, Sir Rich Knighton, chief of the air staff, said: 'This is a seminal moment for the RAF to maintain our advantage in air combat and national security. 'The RAF is committed to exploring cutting-edge technologies that can enhance its lethality and survivability in a more contested and dangerous world. 'Autonomous collaborative platforms will revolutionise how we conduct a range of missions, from intelligence gathering to strike and logistical support. 'We are excited to be at the forefront of this innovation and are working closely with industry partners to explore the possibilities.' The RAF said the new capability meant that electronic warfare capabilities could now be deployed without needing to put human pilots at risk, freeing them up for other missions. An initial 24 StormShroud drones have been ordered at a cost of £19m, supporting 200 skilled manufacturing jobs. However, British-Portuguese defence company Tekever said it was preparing to invest £400m over the next five years to expand its UK presence, ahead of further anticipated orders of the AR3 from Britain and its Nato allies. An RAF source said the air force was also likely to order more StormShroud drones and would continue to 'iterate' the platform with Tekever and Leonardo. On Friday, Sir Keir Starmer visited Leonardo's site in Luton to meet staff and discuss the new StormShroud capability. He made the visit against the backdrop of grim results for Labour in the local elections and the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, where Nigel Farage's Reform UK stormed to victory. The Prime Minister said: 'Investment in our defence is an investment in this country's future. 'Putting money behind our Armed Forces and defence industry is safeguarding our economic and national security by putting money back in the pockets of hard-working British people and protecting them for generations to come. 'Together with our allies, this Government is taking the bold action needed to stand up to Putin and ruthlessly protect UK and European security, which is vital for us to deliver our Plan for Change and improve the lives of working people up and down the country.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
