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Ukraine Advances Toward Localizing Bren-2 Assault Rifle Production
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![Photo of Lucile Brizard]( "Photo of Lucile Brizard")
Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries, led by Minister Herman Smetanin, discussed on the March 18, the licensed production of Czech Bren-2 assault rifles and the development of a new Ukrainian-made rifle in collaboration with Czech companies COLT CZ and Česká Zbrojovka.
The Czech Bren-2 is a modern, versatile assault rifle designed for military and law enforcement use. It is known for its modular design, reliability, and compatibility with various calibers, making it a widely adopted weapon in NATO and other defense forces globally.
The Bren-2 assault rifle, already in use by military and law enforcement agencies worldwide, is assembled in Ukraine using Czech components on production lines owned and maintained by Ukroboronprom. This partnership plays a key role in enhancing Ukraine’s capability to supply modern firearms to its military units.
The discussions took place during a business trip to the Czech Republic, where Smetanin was accompanied by Oleksandr Kamyshin, an advisor to the President on strategic issues.
Smetanin highlighted Ukraine’s goal to strengthen its partnership with Czech defense companies by transferring production capabilities for semi-automatic weapons to Ukraine, with a long-term objective of developing a domestically produced Ukrainian assault rifle.
“We intend to strengthen this partnership by transferring production capabilities for semi-automatic weapons to Ukraine,” he stated.
The agreement with Česká Zbrojovka, signed in July 2024, allows for the localization of Bren-2 assembly in Ukraine, with full production expected to follow.
The rifles, currently assembled in Ukrainian facilities, are produced under the brand name Sich and are expected to contribute to modernizing Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Ukrainian facilities can now produce up to 400 Bren-2 units per day.
In addition to COLT CZ and Česká Zbrojovka, Ukrainian officials met with representatives from PBS, OMNIPOL, LPP, and AMOS, marking the continued strengthening of Ukraine’s defense sector. Smetanin expressed gratitude for the partnership with Czech companies and noted that Ukraine was already seeing the first results of this collaboration.
Earlier, Ukrainian military intelligence targeted high-value Russian radar stations in occupied Crimea, hitting air defense systems, naval vessels, and a helicopter.
