The European defense industry is under great pressure: systems must be available more quickly, supply chains must be more robust and production capacities must be more scalable. Skyeton and ONBERG Autonomous Systems (ONBERG) therefore signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Berlin 2026 International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA). The aim is to build an industrial platform in Germany in order to be able to develop, produce and market NATO-compliant unmanned aviation systems (UAS) and autonomous components more quickly.
Skyeton is an aviation production holding company founded in Ukraine. ONBERG is a joint venture between HD Advanced Technologies GmbH (HDAT) and Ondas Autonomous Systems (OAS). HDAT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), OAS in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of the listed American Ondas Inc. Ukrainian combat experience, German industrial precision and American technological expertise in autonomous systems come together in a new partnership.
Industrial platform for scalable defense
At the center of the planned cooperation is a joint roadmap. It plans to build up capacities in Germany for the development, industrialization, production and commercialization of autonomous components and subsystems. The partners not only want to accelerate production, but also secure critical supply chains within the alliance.
The first flagship project is the scaling and commercialization of Skyeton’s Raybird UAS. The modular system is designed for long range, long operational duration and long-term reconnaissance. In the future, it will be combined with other autonomous solutions. The combination of the Raybird with a large unmanned ground vehicle from HDAT will soon be tested in Ukraine. The partnership is aimed at a multi-domain business that more closely links air and ground systems.
Ukrainian experience meets German manufacturing
The political significance of the agreement was emphasized by Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, head of the armaments department at the Ministry of Defense, at the signing. Initiatives like these are “the backbone of the future European defense architecture”. Combining Ukrainian combat experience with European manufacturing excellence and allied technological expertise will create a resilient defense industrial base in Europe.
Skyeton also points to the urgency. The war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed the paradigms of modern warfare, said Pavlo Shevchuk, International CEO of Skyeton: “Operational resilience, speed and adaptability are non-negotiable.” With ONBERG, the aim is to combine the knowledge gained in use and the endurance of the systems with European series production and modern autonomous technology.
Autonomy as a safety factor
For ONBERG, it is not just about technological innovation, but also about industrial availability. Michael Wellenzohn, member of the ONBERG Advisory Board and CEO of HDAT, emphasized: “True defense preparedness is more than innovation. It’s about scaling and secured supplies.”
This is exactly where the strategic core of the agreement lies. Europe not only needs powerful drones, but also production structures that can deliver quickly in the event of a crisis. If the planned platform is successfully built, it could become a building block of European defense autonomy: with systems aligned to NATO requirements, manufactured in Europe, and operational experience from Ukraine directly translated into industrial development.