More US and European defense companies are setting up operations in Ukraine as the war rages on

Ukrainian soldiers work on the tank gun of a Leopard 1 A5 main battle tank.

US and European defense companies are increasingly setting up operations in Ukraine, with the brutal war raging on and presenting plenty of opportunities.

Two companies said this week that they will work more on key weapons in Ukraine, adding to what has been a growing presence of Western defense manufacturers in the country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

KNDS, a French-German defense group, announced on Tuesday that it had opened a subsidiary in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, where one of its aims is to “carry out maintenance, repair and overhaul work” on some of its systems that Ukraine’s military is using.

This includes the Leopard 1 and 2 main battle tanks, the CAESAR artillery gun, the AMX10 RC armored fighting vehicle, the PzH 2000 armored howitzer, and the Gepard self-propelled antiaircraft gun.

The company said in a press statement that the new subsidiary “will support the cooperation between Ukrainian government institutions, the Ukrainian armaments industry and KNDS.”

Meanwhile, AeroVironment, an American defense contractor headquartered in Virginia, signed an agreement with an undisclosed Ukrainian company to make the Switchblade 600, a loitering munition, in Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent reported.

The moves build on a growing Western defense industry presence in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov, said in December that his country had signed “dozens of new contracts” that included joint production agreements with Western partners.

German arms maker Rheinmetall has opened a plant in Ukraine and its CEO said in May that the company will open a new air defense facility in the country.

It also said that it would produce Lynx armored vehicles in Ukraine.

BAE, a major British defense firm, meanwhile, announced last year that it was opening a new base in Ukraine to “ramp up” its support for the country’s armed forces.

And an unnamed US State Department official told Defense One that more American defense companies seem interested in establishing themselves in Ukraine.

But the official also warned of the dangers involved, saying no company wants their facilities targeted or employees hurt.

The efforts are part of a wider push to integrate Western and Ukrainian defense efforts, including by sharing technologies, Ukrainian weapons specialists working in the West, and Western countries repairing and storing Ukrainian weaponry.

These efforts will “allow Ukraine to become self-sufficient over time and integrate Ukraine into the broader Western security network,” Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said in January.

Most of Ukraine’s weaponry comes from its allies, but it has also dramatically increased its own production. This includes making its own howitzers, glide bombs, and drones.

Russia is also ramping up its own production, sparking concerns in the West.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a major boost for Western defense companies, with many nations increasing their defense spending.

Countries have increased their orders, and many companies have increased their production, including equipment that had stopped being made — not only to aid Ukraine but to prepare for any future Russian conflict with the West.

The benefit has been huge for US companies: Of the $113 billion pledged by Congress up until April 2024 in relation to the war, as much as $68 billion was destined to be invested in domestic companies, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.