From cargo planes to drones: Antonov will cooperate with Boeing to develop UAVs
23 July 2024 12:14
A landmark event for Ukraine took place in the world of aviation and defense industry. At the Farnborough Airshow, the American giant Boeing and the Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov signed a memorandum of understanding that opens new horizons for cooperation in the field of unmanned technologies, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Breaking Defense.
This document envisages the joint work of companies in the areas of personnel training, logistical support and maintenance of drones, in particular, such as the Boeing ScanEagle. In addition, the agreement creates opportunities for Antonov to provide engineering support to Boeing, which is a significant step in the development of the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex.
Ted Colbert, CEO of Boeing’s defense division, expressed his satisfaction with the continuation of cooperation with Antonov, stressing the importance of Ukraine’s support. He also recalled the recent signing of the Ukrainian Defense-Industrial Compact, which demonstrates the consistency of Boeing’s efforts in expanding cooperation with Ukrainian industry.
This agreement opens up new prospects for “Antonov”. The company, which was previously known as the manufacturer of the world’s largest An-225 Mriya cargo plane, which was destroyed at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, is now actively developing the direction of drone production. The CEO of the company, Yevhen Gavrilov, expressed great admiration for the possibility of cooperation with Boeing, emphasizing the new possibilities of implementing the most modern and effective solutions in the aerospace and defense industries.
It is worth noting that this is not the first experience of cooperation between Boeing and Antonov. In 2018, the companies already concluded an agreement on the supply of aviation parts, which Ukraine could no longer receive from Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. This cooperation allowed the Ukrainian manufacturer to resume suspended aircraft production.
