KYIV/ISTANBUL — NATO and Ukraine have officially unveiled a pioneering joint initiative, UNITE-Brave NATO, aimed at dramatically accelerating the deployment of cutting-edge defense technologies to the frontline and bolstering interoperability between Ukrainian and allied forces.
The program marks the first-ever formal NATO-Ukraine framework focused specifically on scaling up military technologies that have already been prototyped and tested.
The new partnership is designed to move quickly, with the first competitive funding round prioritizing innovations crucial for immediate battlefield needs, including tools to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS), enhance air defense capabilities, and secure frontline communications.
Ukrainian companies will work alongside allied firms to compete for the initial pool of joint grants, which totals €10 million ($11.5 million), financed equally by NATO and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation. Should the pilot round prove successful, program leaders anticipate a significant funding increase, potentially reaching €50 million in 2026.
Coordination of the effort will be managed by Ukraine’s defense-tech cluster, Brave1, from Kyiv, while NATO’s Communications and Information Agency will oversee the first round of competition.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska, speaking at a meeting in Kyiv, highlighted the mutual benefits of the program. She stated the initiative would help address immediate defense challenges while allowing the alliance to gain “invaluable lessons in real time.”
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, welcomed the move, asserting that the cooperation would help build a “more resilient, adaptive, and technologically advanced defense architecture for the entire Euro-Atlantic community.”
Companies are expected to be able to register online in the coming weeks, with bids due in February 2026. Winners of the first grant competition will be announced in spring 2026 during the second NATO-Ukraine Defense Innovators Forum. (Anadolu)