Ukraine just launched a shocking system letting soldiers custom-order strike drones like ordering pizza during an active, brutal war | Tech Radar

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Ukrainian drone giant Brave 1 will now let military customers order custom-built drones

Ukrainian forces spent roughly $1 billion through Brave 1 Market

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Brave 1 lets Ukrainian units order drones built to exact specifications

Military units have spent nearly one billion dollars through Brave 1 Market

Buyers can adjust seventeen different drone specifications before placing an order

A new procurement system launched by Ukraine's Brave 1 defense cluster now allows Ukrainian military units to commission drones built to their own specifications.

The system operates through the existing Brave 1 Market platform, where military units can request drones tailored to particular operational requirements.

Military units placed roughly $1 billion worth of orders for defense technologies through the platform during its first year of operation.

This digital marketplace currently has over 1,000 defense innovations spanning unmanned aerial vehicles, ground robotic systems, electronic warfare and signals intelligence equipment, specialized components, AI-powered solutions, software applications, and ammunition.

Custom ordering, however, is currently limited to a small slice of that catalog. At this stage, only three drone categories qualify for custom orders: standard FPV strike drones, fiber-optic FPV variants, and fixed-wing interceptors.

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Seventeen separate specifications are open to adjustment under the new system, ranging from communication equipment and cameras to payload capacity and flight time.

Submitted requests are routed automatically to a pool of suppliers, each of whom can choose to bid or opt out entirely.

"All stages of interaction and decision-making are automatically recorded in the system," said Brave 1.

If a military unit decides not to proceed with a purchase, it must provide a clearly justified reason for the decision.

Brave 1 says the automated approach aims to give military units systems tailored to specific battlefield missions while keeping procurement rules transparent for suppliers.

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The system also provides the state with a complete digital record and verified data for every transaction made across the platform.

The platform also allows complaints to be filed against either buyers or suppliers if disputes arise during the process at any later stage.

When multiple suppliers submit matching technical proposals, the system triggers a competitive bidding process, and the cheapest offer ultimately secures the deal.

Once bidding wraps up, the requesting unit finalizes an agreement directly with the chosen manufacturer, bypassing extra bureaucratic steps in the process.

Suppliers who decline a specific request face no penalty under the current system, according to the company's statement released this week.

Brave 1 said the procurement process is designed to remain transparent and competitive for all participating suppliers throughout every stage of the transaction.

Brave 1 plans to expand the range of eligible systems considerably further in the coming months, including the eventual addition of unmanned ground vehicles.

For now, the feature applies only to purchases financed with military units' own funds, excluding the state e Baly procurement system.

Units can even request equipment that hasn't received official classification yet, something the standard state procurement process typically does not allow.

This shift toward customer-driven procurement suggests Ukraine is trying to close the gap between battlefield needs and manufacturing speed during an active war.

Other governments observing Ukraine's wartime innovations may eventually consider similar digital procurement models for their own defense industries in the years ahead.

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Efosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a Ph D in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking.

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