Military units can now order fully customised drones on the Brave1 Market marketplace for specific missions, rather than being limited to off-the-shelf products, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine said.
The following systems are currently available for custom orders:
- FPV kamikaze drones;
- fibre-optic FPV kamikaze drones;
- fixed-wing drone interceptors.
“A military unit submits a request, specifying only the desired tactical and technical characteristics, quantity and delivery timeframe,” the ministry said, noting that the ordering process would be transparent and free from corruption risks.
At the same time, the unit ordering the drone does not see which company has responded to its request.
Once potential suppliers confirm that they can meet the specified requirements, and the tactical and technical characteristics in several bids fully match, an automated bidding process will be held to select the lowest price.
The tactical and technical characteristics can be specified across more than 17 parameters, including the type of communications link, camera, payload capacity, flight time and more.
“Importantly, this procedure allows even non-codified solutions to be ordered, providing greater flexibility compared with other government procurement tools,” the Defence Ministry added.
The range of systems available for customisation is expected to expand. NRK ground robotic systems are also set to be added.
Orders are available exclusively for purchases made using units’ own funds, rather than electronic points.
Both buyers and suppliers can file complaints.