The European aerospace concern Airbus Defense and Space has signed a memorandum of strategic partnership with the Ukrainian defense company SkyFall, a manufacturer of Vampire heavy attack drones, which the military calls Baba Yaga.
The signing took place at the ILA Berlin air show in the presence of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. According to the Airbus report, the cooperation is aimed at strengthening Ukraine's capabilities to protect airspace from missile and unmanned attacks, as well as at developing the European defense ecosystem by combining Western technologies and Ukrainian combat experience.
Airbus said that the agreement meets the goals of the pan-European initiative European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), aimed at creating a unified air defense system of European countries. The company also noted that the partnership should strengthen technological sovereignty and open the way for Ukrainian defense technologies to the European market.
Airbus Defense and Space CEO Michael Schellhorn pointed out that modern threats require new approaches.
"Countering new threats in the form of massive and inexpensive drone attacks and other means of destruction throughout Europe requires technological flexibility, international compatibility and the use of solutions tested in combat conditions," he stressed.