Local production of the Vector began in early 2024. Today, Ukrainian workshops are assembling around 80 drones per month, compared with 120 units in Germany. Similar facilities also operate in the United States and Australia, providing a global backbone for the company's operations.
Over the three years of full-scale war, Quantum Systems has quietly established a network of covert plants across different Ukrainian regions, a strategy designed to ensure resilience against russian missile strikes. By dispersing sites, the company reduces the risk of a single attack halting output, according to Politico.
Read more: Exclusive: First Images of Vector Drone Featuring AI-Powered Acoustic Sensor for Ukrainian Troops
At a recent drone demonstration in western Ukraine, Alexander Berezhny, managing director of Quantum Systems Ukraine, emphasized the significance of this approach:
"We are certainly a role model on how to do it. While many are only now speaking about joint ventures or the possibility of producing here and there, we have been doing it for years," he said.
The Vector UAV was among the first reconnaissance drones delivered to Ukraine in 2022. The updated version integrates artificial intelligence and the WASP acoustic sensor, which allows it to detect artillery by sound at long range. The UAV also provides encrypted, high-resolution imagery, enhancing situational awareness on the battlefield.
"We are currently testing it together with their rocket and artillery command to fix the range, to fix the precision and to fix the technical specifications ... we will go through the functional tests to get weaponry adoption to service by the armed forces of Ukraine with these updates," Berezhny said.
Matthias Lehna, the company's business development director, noted that the Ukrainian battlefield has become central to global drone development:
"The whole development in the drone industry is coming right from the Donbas, not from Silicon Valley."
Beyond local production, Germany has continued to supply Ukraine directly. In 2023, Ukrainian warriors received over 100 Vectors under a defense contract. Earlier this year, Berlin included 50 Vector drones with spare parts in a military aid package.
This mix of direct deliveries and local manufacturing gives Ukraine both immediate operational capacity and longer-term industrial sustainability.
Read more: Germany Aims for Over 8,000 UAVs by 2029, up From Just over 600 in 2025
