At this year’s International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin, Airbus Defence and Space and Ukrainian technological defence company SkyFall, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a strategic partnership.
SkyFall has combined rapid prototyping with serial manufacturing to deliver advanced unmanned aerial systems for combat missions, logistics, and military reconnaissance. The signing took place in the presence of German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius.
"Countering new threats by affordable saturation attacks with drones and other effectors across the European airspace requires technological agility, multinational interoperability, and the deployment of battle-tested capabilities," CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, Michael Schoellhorn, stated.
"This alliance with SkyFall bridges the gap between traditional defence systems and rapid-cycle innovation. Combining Airbus’ system-of-systems and C2-expertise - especially in integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) - with Ukraine’s invaluable combat insights and field-proven technologies, is another building block in creating a resilient, multi-layered air defence ecosystem - at the speed of the modern battlefield."
The partnership reinforces the protection of Ukraine's airspace against drone and missile strikes. The initiative will accelerate the European defence ecosystem by combining extensive Western systemic defence experience with battle-proven technological agility and effectiveness to foster next-generation defence frameworks.
“SkyFall interceptors have already neutralised over 10,000 Russian drones in live combat environments, validating the effectiveness of Ukrainian solutions in countering aerial threats. Partnering with Airbus, we are developing the next generation of technologies to establish a multi-layered air shield that will bolster the protection of Ukrainian skies and European airspace,” CEO at SkyFall, Mykola Makovieiev, commented.
The joint initiative directly supports the overarching goals of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), Europe's joint air defence framework, and underscores the vital importance of European technological sovereignty.
Furthermore, the alliance strengthens collective deterrence and long-term industrial solidarity by bringing advanced Ukrainian defence technologies to the European market.