The 18-strong board of the new industrial tool got down to work on Friday. Defence Commissioner Kubilius expects first deliveries by the end of the year.

Interoperability is not a technical issue, it’s a cultural one, the inaugural board meeting of the alliance heard from Brig. Gen. Ronald Rietbergen of GLOBSEC. The sentiment characterised the tone of the Brussels meeting.

The European Commission and 18 companies—nine from the EU, nine from Ukraine—met in the Commission’s Charlemagne building on Friday morning. The alliance operationalises the Drone Deal signed in July. It aims to accelerate joint production of battle-proven systems by the end of 2026.  

EU Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius opened the session. He described the meeting as a historical moment. He highlighted the need to copy the Ukrainian ecosystem. “The very first board meeting of the alliance. This is something quite remarkable and quite a new experience for all of us,” said Mr Kubilius. “First deliverables should be coming already by the end of this year.”

The academy of war

“You are the best of the best,” Mr Kubilius told the participants, noting that 400 firms applied for the board. “This alliance can become in a way something like an academy of Ukraine war experience,” the commissioner said. But Europe needs to learn how to adapt production methods; it must produce good enough equipment at speed and scale.

Current European production is roughly 1.5m drones. Ukraine and Russia each produce around 10m units. Europe must be ready to scale up rapidly if the security environment worsens. Identifying supply-chain vulnerabilities is essential — this is the industrial engine.

If there’s a technique which is good enough, trial it, if it’s good enough, field it. — Brig. Gen. Ronald Rietbergen

Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Serhiy Boyev joined the meeting remotely. He stressed the importance of these systems in the current conflict. “Drones represent over 95 per cent of lethality at the battlefield now,” said Mr Boyev. He thanked the EU for including Ukraine in key projects.

Lethality on the battlefield

Ukraine faces an adversary able to scale and innovate. The alliance provides a platform for business-to-business partnerships. It aims to ensure that industrial policy is responsive to modern challenges. “The Ukraine Drone Alliance is the initiative that coheres all these tracks and importantly gives Ukrainian and European industry the platform to provide input and drive industrial policy to ensure that it is responsive to the challenges of today,” said the Ukrainian official.

The initiative seeks to build long-term industrial resilience. It uses the Ukraine Support Loan to disburse €1bn for drone technology. This funding gives industry the confidence to invest. Mr Boyev wants results in the immediate future.

General Rietbergen discussed the two major capability coalitions. These are Drone and Counter Drone European Resolve, known as DECODER, and Eastern Flank Watch. DECODER includes 26 member states and targets investment up to €5bn by 2033. Eastern Flank Watch could reach €100bn by 2036.

Embracing the initiatives

These initiatives aim to close the readiness gap before 2030. Mr Rietbergen urged industry to embrace the various platforms. “My mantra now is don’t fight it, embrace it,” the general said. He wants to avoid duplicating efforts across the continent.

Joint procurement is a central goal. The alliance wants to aggregate demand through the European Defence Agency. Mr Rietbergen cautioned against perfectionism in the process. “I like your saying perfect is the enemy of good enough because this is against every acquisition guide in our systems. They don’t like ‘good enough’, they like ‘perfect’— and that takes a lot of time and a lot of energy,” said Mr Rietbergen.

The alliance will map component dependencies to ensure security of supply. This includes reducing reliance on Chinese electronics. Ukrainian firms like F-Drones have already replaced such parts with domestic designs.

Scaling for the future

Future plans include a European network of drone technology hubs. These hubs—which seek continuous innovation—will operate across air, maritime, and sea domains. The goal is to move from research to production faster. “If there’s a technique which is good enough, trial it, if it’s good enough, field it,” said Mr Rietbergen.

The board must now turn discussions into practical actions. Mr Kubilius expects first deliverables by the end of this year. The alliance must keep the door open to startups and software developers. European scale and Ukrainian speed are worth more when combined.

Drones represent over 95 per cent of lethality at the battlefield now. — Serhyi Boyev, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister

Success would embed Ukraine’s defence industry into the single market. This mirrors previous integrations in energy and telecommunications. The strategic goal is clear, and the industrial engine is now running.

The alliance is a war-time capacity builder. It is also a structural industrial policy instrument. Its ripple effects will be felt across logistics and agri-tech. The board members now hold a unique role in shaping the strategic priorities of the alliance. Practical results must follow the rhetoric of the Charlemagne building; the drone wars have only just begun.