Ukrainian drone giant Brave1 will now let military customers order custom-built drones

Date:
Sun, 23 Aug 2026 20:20:00 +0000

Description:
Brave1 launched a new marketplace letting Ukrainian military units order custom-built drones with automatic bidding, transparent pricing, and digital tracking.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Brave1 lets Ukrainian units order drones built to exact specifications Military units have spent nearly one billion dollars through Brave1 Market Buyers can adjust seventeen different drone specifications before placing an order A new procurement system launched by Ukraine's Brave1 defense cluster now allows Ukrainian military units to commission drones built to their own specifications.

The system operates through the existing Brave1 Market platform, where military units can request drones tailored to particular operational requirements. Military units placed roughly $1 billion worth of orders for defense technologies through the platform during its first year of operation. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: A more flexible way to
buy This digital marketplace currently has over 1,000 defense innovations spanning unmanned aerial vehicles, ground robotic systems, electronic warfare and signals intelligence equipment, specialized components, AI-powered solutions, software applications, and ammunition.

Custom ordering, however, is currently limited to a small slice of that catalog. At this stage, only three drone categories qualify for custom
orders: standard FPV strike drones, fiber-optic FPV variants, and fixed-wing interceptors. You may like Ukrainian UAV expert warns US off-the-shelf drones will fail to survive EW, and 'every unit should have their own drone laboratory' US confirms it will leverage Ukraine's expertise in military drones before competing to 'be the world champions' US buys 2000 F-Drones F10 attack UAVs from Ukraine as the Pentagon moves to its next phase

Seventeen separate specifications are open to adjustment under the new
system, ranging from communication equipment and cameras to payload capacity and flight time.

Submitted requests are routed automatically to a pool of suppliers, each of whom can choose to bid or opt out entirely. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
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"All stages of interaction and decision-making are automatically recorded in the system," said Brave1.

If a military unit decides not to proceed with a purchase, it must provide a clearly justified reason for the decision.

Brave1 says the automated approach aims to give military units systems tailored to specific battlefield missions while keeping procurement rules transparent for suppliers. What to read next Brave1 and the open source
future of war Experts claim the US wants to 'extract IP' from Ukraine's drone industry, mirroring China's tech transfers from Boeing Ukraine confirms it will produce 10 million drones in 2026

The system also provides the state with a complete digital record and
verified data for every transaction made across the platform.

The platform also allows complaints to be filed against either buyers or suppliers if disputes arise during the process at any later stage.

When multiple suppliers submit matching technical proposals, the system triggers a competitive bidding process, and the cheapest offer ultimately secures the deal.

Once bidding wraps up, the requesting unit finalizes an agreement directly with the chosen manufacturer, bypassing extra bureaucratic steps in the process.

Suppliers who decline a specific request face no penalty under the current system, according to the company's statement released this week. Expanding categories and remaining limits Brave1 said the procurement process is designed to remain transparent and competitive for all participating
suppliers throughout every stage of the transaction.

Brave1 plans to expand the range of eligible systems considerably further in the coming months, including the eventual addition of unmanned ground vehicles.

For now, the feature applies only to purchases financed with military units' own funds, excluding the state eBaly procurement system.

Units can even request equipment that hasn't received official classification yet, something the standard state procurement process typically does not allow.

This shift toward customer-driven procurement suggests Ukraine is trying to close the gap between battlefield needs and manufacturing speed during an active war.

Other governments observing Ukraine's wartime innovations may eventually consider similar digital procurement models for their own defense industries in the years ahead.

Via United24media Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/title-1-ukrainian-drone-giant-brave1-will-now-le t-military-customers-order-custom-built-drones


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