The Swedish Government has expanded its defence innovation initiative for Ukraine, doubling funding to SEK 300 million through support package 20. The initiative, managed by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, focuses on identifying, testing, and funding solutions that address critical defence needs, particularly against drone and aerial threats. A panel of experts from Sweden and Ukraine has reviewed various anti-drone systems and selected the most promising concepts for serial production.
Initially launched under support package 19 with SEK 150 million, the innovation challenge drew a strong response from companies, prompting the government to increase the allocation. The challenge is structured as a procurement process aimed at discovering innovative concepts and technical solutions with military potential that can support Ukraine in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Launched on 7 May 2025, the challenge received over 100 applications, which were evaluated by an expert panel including representatives from Ukraine, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, the Swedish Armed Forces, and the Swedish Defence Research Agency. Following the evaluations, 21 companies were invited to present their concepts in person, with Minister for Defence Pål Jonson observing the final presentations.
Twelve companies were selected to receive funding to further develop their solutions. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration will now decide on the further development of up to six concepts, which will be refined into production-ready systems for delivery to Ukraine. These solutions aim to neutralize threats posed by aerial vehicles, including hypersonic missiles, glide bombs, long-range fixed-wing drones, and patrol missiles, combining Swedish technology with Ukrainian combat experience to strengthen defence capabilities.
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