Ukraine inks defense deals with French firms at Eurosatory exhibition

At the Eurosatory 2024 international defense industry exhibition in Paris, Ukrainian companies signed six agreements with French arms manufacturers, according to a statement by Ukraine's Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin published on 20 June.

According to the minister, the companies from the Ukroboronprom defense conglomerate inked five agreements, while a private Ukrainian drone developer signed the sixths:

• The first agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding with the French company Thales, outlines the establishment of a joint venture in Ukraine for the repair and modernization of equipment related to electronic warfare, communications, air defense systems, and radars.
• A second agreement with Thales involves the creation of a service center in Ukraine dedicated to the maintenance and testing of electronic warfare systems and radars.
• The third agreement regulates cooperation with the French drone manufacturer Hexadrone for the joint production of an unmanned aerial vehicle complex.
• The fourth agreement is a cooperation deal with Exail for the installation and testing of their navigation systems on Ukrainian-produced radars.
• The fifth agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding with the French defense company Arquus, pertains to the maintenance and modernization of armored vehicles.
• Additionally, the French association GICAT signed a cooperation memorandum with the "Technological Forces of Ukraine" association, and a private Ukrainian drone developer agreed to collaborate with Thales on the joint development of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Kamyshin wrote:

"The Ukrainian and European defense industries have a lot to share with each other. We look forward to a long and fruitful cooperation that will enhance the defense capabilities of not only Ukraine, but also the entire European Union, of which we will eventually become a part."

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