The United States government hosted the first day of the U.S.-Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The conference convened around 350 U.S., Ukrainian, and European industry and government representatives to focus on significantly increasing weapons production to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom against russian aggression and strengthen Ukraine’s long term self-defense.
The U.S. Department of Defense, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and the Ministry for Strategic Industries signed a Statement of Intent on Co-production and Technical Data Exchange. This agreement aims to address critical shortages in air defense systems, repair and sustainment capabilities and essential munitions production. It will expedite investment deals and ensure a faster flow of resources to Ukraine.
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The Department of Defense and industry partners provided Ukraine with technical data to start local production of some of the FrankenSAM projects that seek to enable Ukraine’s legacy air defense systems by integrating certain Western munitions. Parallel production of these systems in Ukraine and the United States will allow for faster fielding and enable Ukraine to contribute significantly to the sustainment of its air defense systems.
These initial steps represent a significant commitment from both the U.S. and Ukraine. They aim to not only provide the immediate resources needed to win the war but also lay the groundwork for a strong, self-sufficient Ukrainian defense industry.
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