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- Tech
NATO and Ukraine launch €10M defense innovation programme
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- 2 min
Ukraine and NATO are launching their first large-scale joint defense innovation programme — UNITE: Brave NATO. Its main goal is to accelerate battlefield-tested defense innovations, adapt them to NATO standards, and integrate them into the Alliance’s defense systems.
In early 2026, the first pilot call within UNITE: Brave NATO will be launched with a total budget of €10 million. NATO will contribute its share through the Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine (CAP), while Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation will match the amount. On the Ukrainian side, the programme will be coordinated by the Brave1 defense tech cluster; on NATO’s side, the pilot call will be implemented by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA).
The funding will support joint teams made up of Ukrainian and NATO-member companies.
Key focus areas:
- Countering drones (c-UAS)
- Enhancing air defense capabilities
- Enabling secure frontline communications
The first call for joint proposals will open in February 2026. Winners will be announced in the spring.
As Ukraine continues to prove the resilience and speed of its defense ecosystem, this programme marks a strategic shift — integrating Ukrainian innovations into NATO’s collective defense architecture.
The plan: if the pilot proves successful, total funding will increase to €50 million and expand to include SIGINT systems, robust navigation under electronic warfare conditions, and ground-based robotics.
This is the next step toward building a more agile and interoperable defense infrastructure across the Euro-Atlantic community — with Ukraine at the forefront.
