Ukraine targets defense self-reliance amid air defense shortages

Ukraine is expanding domestic weapons development to counter intensified Russian ballistic missile strikes as Western air defense supplies falter. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that establishing local production of Patriot systems under U.S. licenses will require between 12 months and several years due to regulatory and technical delays.

To address immediate vulnerabilities and reduce reliance on foreign military aid, two Ukrainian companies are currently engineering indigenous ballistic missiles, though technical challenges hamper rapid mass production. Concurrently, the Ukrainian armed forces are procuring the domestically produced "Equalizer" glide bomb kit. Developed by DG Industry with the Brave1 defense cluster, the system converts conventional aerial bombs into long-range precision munitions compatible with Soviet-era and Western-supplied fighter aircraft.

Sources: NEXTA, NV, Point, The Insider, Українська правда