Ukraine and NATO are building new kind of wartime procurement

Systemic digital transformation has received support from NATO. The Alliance is backing the development of Ukraine’s Defense Procurement Agency and the implementation of digital solutions in defense management, says Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

The initiative involves a large-scale system upgrade based on innovation, transparency, and standardized decision-making processes.

In modern warfare, where drone technologies are constantly evolving, the speed of adaptation determines effectiveness.

Ukraine's Brave1 procurement system has already created a national marketplace where frontline units directly order drones from certified manufacturers.

The platform has processed over $235 million in orders, while real-time dashboards continuously provide manufacturers with verified data on impacts, strike distances, and failure modes.

Defense procurement is becoming digitalized

One of the key directions is the development of the DOT-Chain platform, which is intended to serve as a digital backbone for rapid innovation deployment and real-time procurement management.

Separate efforts focus on strengthening cybersecurity, including protecting state data, IT infrastructure, and critical digital services in the defense sector.

A full functional audit is also planned with the involvement of NATO IBAN to implement international standards of integrity, control, and transparency.

UK joins process

According to Fedorov, the Alliance is supporting these changes for the first time both financially and through expertise, making the project unique in scale.

The initiative is being implemented jointly with the Office of the UK Special Defense Adviser.

Building digital army

“Our task is to build a modern, transparent, and technological defense procurement system that is trusted by partners and quickly and effectively supplies the military with everything it needs,” Fedorov says.

In conclusion, Ukraine aims to build a modern defense procurement model combining technology, transparency, and rapid delivery.

Currently, Ukrainian military units already independently choose suppliers and can switch manufacturers based on battlefield performance, rather than waiting for committee approvals.

This system works faster than any army in the world.