General Cherry's interceptor drone (Orqa FPV)
Croatian and Ukrainian startups partner to market C-UAS tech
The deal will scale Ukrainian systems while safeguarding wartime supply chains.
By
Tom
Barlow-Brown
Defence Journalist, DSEI Gateway
Ukrainian defence technology company General Cherry and Croatian drone manufacturer Orqa FPV are joining forces to develop and manufacture counter-drone systems for NATO and its allies.
The partnership will involve the manufacture of interceptor drones, components, and other counter-UASs (C-UASs), combining General Cherry’s operational experience with Orqa FPV’s production capabilities and integrated supply chain.
Joint manufacturing facilities will be built in Croatia and Ukraine, with the first products expected “in the near future”, Oraq FPV said on 7 April.
Orqa FPV co-founder and CEO Srdjan Kovacevic told DSEI Gateway that the partnership grew out of earlier collaboration between the two companies on the US Department of War’s “Drone Dominance” programme. This is a USD1 billion initiative to procure more than 300,000 low-cost drones by 2028.
He said the companies identified a gap in western C-UAS capabilities, particularly a lack of combat-proven C-UAS expertise.
“There’s a growing awareness of an urgent need but there's no credible solution outside of Ukraine."
Orqa FPV co-founder and CEO Srdjan Kovacevic.
Kovacevic added that export restrictions and supply chain constraints have limited the availability of such systems internationally. The partnership provides a way to scale this capability globally without undermining Ukraine’s own defence effort or placing additional strain on its supply chains.
Tom
Barlow-Brown
Defence Journalist, DSEI Gateway
Tom Barlow-Brown is a Defence Journalist for DSEI Gateway. Previously he worked as a reporter in the maritime sector covering developments in energy and tech.