On November 23-24, 2024, the Defense Tech Hackathon took place aboard the historic USS Hornet aircraft carrier in California, bringing together over 700 participants to develop innovative solutions for pressing national security challenges, including support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, reported Ukrainian media Militarny on November 29.
The event aimed to address practical defense problems posed by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
Co-organized by Victoria Tech, whose co-founders include Ukrainian entrepreneurs Nazar Gulyk and Arthur Kyulian, the hackathon attracted engineers, US Special Operations Forces, MIT Lincoln Labs, Anduril, Palantir, and military veterans.
“Thanks to this hackathon, we received 37 exceptional projects that will help solve real defense challenges for Ukraine,” Gulyk said.
“Most importantly, we brought 400 of Silicon Valley’s top engineers closer to Ukraine’s reality.”
Participants tackled the following issues:
Autonomous systems and drone countermeasures: GNSS navigation solutions and optical defenses.
Communications: Signal clearing and interception analysis.
Reconnaissance: AI-driven decision-making and real-time drone detection.
After two days of collaboration, 37 teams presented their projects, with 11 finalists receiving cash prizes, Starlink kits from UkraineNow.org, and a special prize from Victoria Tech.
“Many American engineers lack context about the war in Ukraine, while Ukrainian stakeholders may not fully grasp Silicon Valley’s technological potential,” said Arthur Kyulian, one of the organizers.
Earlier, Ukraine exceeded the President’s directive by delivering over one million drones to the frontlines within a year.
-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Maryna Kulakova")
