Ukrainian combat drones are planned to be produced in Finland

Finnish defense company Patria plans to launch drone production in Finland in cooperation with Ukrainian manufacturer "General Cherry". The companies signed a letter of intent on August 23.

The cooperation is expected to combine General Cherry's experience in developing and mass-producing small drones with Patria's technologies and production capabilities. The partners also plan to jointly develop unmanned solutions for the defense needs of Western European countries.

"General Cherry" specializes in FPV strike drones, fiber-optic controlled drones, aerial target interceptor drones, and fixed-wing drones. Among its developments, Patria specifically mentions the combat-proven Bullet interceptor platform.

Patria noted that unmanned systems are becoming one of the key elements of modern defense. The Finnish company is already developing its own technologies in this field, including artificial intelligence solutions for unmanned aerial systems.

General Cherry co-founder Stanislav Hryshyn said that Ukrainian combat experience combined with Patria's technological capabilities can be used to develop the European defense industry.

Patria is one of Finland's largest defense manufacturers. The Finnish state owns 50.1% of the company, and Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace owns 49.9%. Patria also owns half of ammunition manufacturer Nammo.

General Cherry was founded in Ukraine after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. The company develops unmanned systems in cooperation with the Ukrainian military and adapts them based on combat experience.

Source: Patria