The Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) has published a new article titled “Ukraine’s Nimble Defense Industry Can Aid Hegseth,” authored by Anatoly Motkin, President of StrategEast. In the piece, Mr. Motkin argues that Ukraine’s rapidly evolving defense industry offers both inspiration and practical support for the US Secretary of Defense’s push to reform American military acquisition systems.
Mr. Motkin highlights that while Ukraine does not yet produce its own air-defense missiles or fighter aircraft, it has become a global leader in long-range strike drones. What began in 2022 as small-scale, hand-assembled prototypes has evolved into a mature industrial ecosystem capable of producing thousands of deep-strike drones each month. Ukraine now launches, on average, more than 100 long-range drones daily against military and energy targets inside Russia, with some days exceeding 500 launches. Platforms such as the FP-2, AN-196 Liutyi, and UJ-26 Bober have successfully targeted Russian oil refineries, pipeline hubs, ammunition depots, and fuel trains.
The article also points to Ukraine’s emerging missile programs, including Palianytsia and long-range versions of Neptune. Although these systems remain classified, open-source assessments suggest they offer range and payload comparable to, or exceeding, Western counterparts—at a significantly lower cost.
Anatoly Motkin notes that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a strategic exchange to the United States: access to Ukrainian drones and missiles in return for American weapons and deeper industrial cooperation. On September 30, Ukraine lifted its wartime moratorium on arms exports, announcing that managed sales to foreign partners were now possible, with interest already expressed by European and American companies.
Europe, the article argues, has moved more quickly to capitalize on this opportunity. Denmark’s multi-billion-dollar “Danish model” now supports joint production of Ukrainian drones and missiles on Danish territory, with output shared between Danish and Ukrainian armed forces. Copenhagen has streamlined certification and procurement processes and begun hosting Ukrainian defense manufacturing facilities.
Mr. Motkin cautions that the United States should not allow Europe to lead this transformation alone. Echoing Secretary Hegseth’s own emphasis on replacing process with speed, the article calls for immediate, hands-on cooperation: U.S. acquisition teams working directly in Ukrainian factories, and Ukrainian engineers embedded within American defense firms such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Anduril.
According to Mr. Motkin, pairing inexpensive, battle-proven Ukrainian drones with American satellites, battle-management systems, and precision-guidance technologies could dramatically enhance their effectiveness. In an era defined by mass production and attrition warfare, he concludes, Ukraine has built the world’s most agile, cost-effective, and combat-tested defense production system. The United States now faces a strategic choice: whether to integrate this ecosystem into its own forces — or risk falling behind competitors who move faster.
As Mr. Motkin underscores in the article, Ukraine’s defense industry is ready. The decisive question, he writes, is whether America’s acquisition system is prepared to move with equal speed.
The full article is available here.
