Ukraine drone production in Norway is set to begin in 2026, after the two countries signed a letter of intent to establish a joint production line for military drones on Norwegian soil, with all systems destined to be donated to Ukraine.
Ukraine drone production in Norway: what is in the deal
Norway and Ukraine have signed a letter of intent that paves the way for establishing a Ukrainian-led drone production line in Norway. According to Norway’s Ministry of Defence (Forsvarsdepartementet), the goal is to set up a pilot production line “quickly in 2026” and then expand capacity during the same year.
Under the agreement, Ukrainian companies will produce drones in cooperation with Norwegian defence industry. After production, the systems will be donated to the Ukrainian armed forces. Norway’s Minister of Defence (Forsvarsministeren) Tore O. Sandvik has described the initiative as a way to deepen industrial cooperation while directly supporting Ukraine’s defence.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal has framed the agreement as both a military and industrial step. By locating Ukrainian drone production in Norway, Kyiv expects to scale up access to modern systems for the front line, while Oslo gains new capabilities, expertise and long-term partnerships in a technology that has become central to modern warfare.
Technology sharing, research and defence industry cooperation
A key element of the agreement is technology and knowledge sharing between Ukraine and Norway. Ukraine is expected to contribute its battlefield-tested experience in drone warfare, including design, software and operational tactics developed over almost three years of full-scale war.
In return, Norway will provide production capacity, regulatory frameworks and industrial infrastructure. The project is designed to involve Norway’s defence research community, including the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt, FFI), developers and the broader Norwegian drone industry. This approach aims to strengthen Norway’s own competence on unmanned systems while ensuring that production can be scaled and sustained.
For Ukraine, the agreement opens new opportunities for research and development (R&D) in partnership with Norwegian institutions. The plan is to go beyond simple assembly and to build a pipeline that links design, testing and iterative improvements, reflecting how fast technologies like loitering munitions and reconnaissance drones evolve on the battlefield.
Norway’s drone strategy and lessons from Ukraine
The new agreement is closely linked to Norway’s emerging drone strategy for the defence sector, which the government is presenting at Akershus Fortress (Akershus festning). The strategy comes after criticism that Norway was moving too slowly on unmanned systems, despite their central role in the war in Ukraine.
In recent months, the Norwegian Armed Forces have intensified testing of new attack drones and loitering munitions, reallocating around 1.5 billion kroner (about 130 million euro) to drone development and integration. According to Norwegian officers working with Ukraine, drones are now responsible for a large share of battlefield losses, underlining how essential they have become for both offensive and defensive operations.
By anchoring Ukraine drone production in Norway, the government signals that drones are not only a temporary wartime necessity but a long-term capability that should be integrated into Norway’s land forces and wider defence planning. Cooperation with Ukraine gives Norwegian actors access to practical experience from one of the most drone-intensive conflicts in recent history.
