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Airbus and Saab Join Ukraine’s Brave1 Defense Tech Ecosystem Under New Global Partnership Initiative
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Airbus and Saab, two of Europe’s largest defense manufacturers, have become the first international companies to join Ukraine’s new Brave Prime initiative, a program designed to integrate leading global defense firms into the country’s rapidly expanding defense technology ecosystem.
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The agreements were announced during the Brave1 Advantage event in Kyiv on June 30, where Ukraine officially launched Brave Prime as a new cooperation framework connecting international defense corporations with Ukrainian innovators, military units, and government institutions.
Airbus Defence and Space, one of Europe’s largest aerospace and defense companies, develops military transport aircraft, satellites, secure communications, intelligence systems, and other defense technologies used by NATO allies.
Swedish defense company Saab is best known for the Gripen multirole fighter, GlobalEye airborne early warning aircraft, Carl-Gustaf anti-tank weapons, and advanced radar, electronic warfare, and naval systems.
The announcement comes just days after Saab signed a contract to supply Ukraine with 16 Gripen E fighter jets, further expanding defense cooperation between Stockholm and Kyiv.
According to Brave1 CEO Andrii Hrytseniuk, Airbus and Saab signed agreements to become part of the Brave1 ecosystem, marking what he described as two major international milestones for the Ukrainian defense technology sector.
“The two biggest primes, Airbus and Saab, signed a memorandum of understanding and a memorandum of intent to join the Brave1 ecosystem,” Hrytseniuk said. He added that the partnerships reflect growing international recognition of Ukraine’s role in shaping next-generation military technologies.
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“As it was said by Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, if you are not in Ukraine, you are not in defense,” Hrytseniuk said.
Brave Prime is intended to establish a permanent mechanism for cooperation between Ukraine’s defense innovation ecosystem and major international defense companies. The initiative aims to combine the combat experience of Ukrainian developers with the industrial capabilities, engineering expertise, and global production capacity of established defense manufacturers.
As part of the cooperation, Airbus Defence and Space signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Brave1, establishing joint working groups covering projects ranging from scientific research to modernization of existing military equipment.
Airbus technologies will also be integrated into Brave1's “Test in Ukraine” framework, allowing systems to undergo frontline testing and rapid evaluation with feedback from Ukrainian troops incorporated directly into future development. The agreement marks Brave1's first industrial strategic partnership with a Western defense company.
Airbus will also become a strategic partner of the Defence Tech Valley summit in Lviv, one of Europe’s largest defense technology events. “Collaborating with Ukraine on defense means effectively working on Europe’s collective security,” said Jo Mueller, a member of the Executive Committee of Airbus Defence and Space.
“It is a great honor for us that Brave1 chose us as a strategic partner in one of the world’s most advanced defense technology ecosystems.” Brave1 Chief Operating Officer Iryna Zabolotna said the cluster is expanding beyond supporting startups toward building global industrial partnerships.
“In Ukraine, research and development cycles are measured not in months or years, but in days. Partnering with a global leader like Airbus allows us to combine their decades of aerospace expertise with our agile, combat-tested R&D approach,” she said.
Brave1 was established three years ago as Ukraine’s state-backed defense technology cluster bringing together government agencies, military units, investors, and private companies.
According to Hrytseniuk, the country’s defense technology sector has grown to more than 2,500 companies producing unmanned aerial vehicles, ground robots, naval drones, ammunition, explosives, electronic warfare systems, and other battlefield technologies.
During the Brave1 Advantage event, Ukraine also announced nearly 1 billion hryvnias (about $23 million) in funding to expand domestic explosives production, introduced 53 new defense technology grant priorities, and launched a new BraveTech EU funding track supporting more than 40 categories of military technologies.
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