A Lithuanian manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems has increasingly turned to Ukraine as a vital source of components, finding in the war-torn country a unique form of practical innovation that can scarcely be replicated elsewhere. The company’s chief executive explained that the ongoing conflict has triggered unprecedented levels of creativity and adaptation on the battlefield. Ukrainian engineers and manufacturers have swiftly translated the lessons of combat into scalable production, developing components and solutions that are not only immediately functional but also precisely tailored to the urgent requirements of warfare. For a firm like Granta Autonomy, this localized and deeply practical approach offers advantages that conventional supply chains simply cannot match.
Gediminas Guoba, the CEO of Granta Autonomy, elaborated that portions of his company’s drone systems incorporate equipment designed and manufactured in Ukraine specifically because these products embody combat-proven resilience. These are not theoretical or laboratory-based technologies, but tools honed amid the chaos of war. As he explained in an interview, many of these advancements either emerged directly on the battlefield or were significantly modified under real operational conditions. Consequently, they are available solely in Ukraine, where circumstances demand rapid integration of ideas into functioning hardware.
While an increasing number of Western defense companies are establishing assembly lines or collaborative centers in Ukraine in order to absorb knowledge from local firms, the practice of directly sourcing individual parts from Ukrainian suppliers remains relatively uncommon. Yet, as Guoba pointed out, the accelerated pace of drone development in the current conflict—driven by the strategic arms race between Russia and Ukraine—means that Ukrainian firms often stand on the cutting edge of innovation. They possess not only theoretical expertise but also experiential knowledge derived from constant exposure to the battlefield.
Guoba emphasized that Ukrainian companies are uniquely positioned to deliver technologies that are needed urgently, without prolonged development cycles. Because they operate in the very conflict environment for which these drones are intended, they have immediate insights into what works and what fails. This direct connection between combat demands and technological output ensures that their products do not remain abstract concepts or experimental prototypes but instead transform rapidly into mission-ready tools. Ukrainian drone operators, in fact, frequently provide real-time assessments, sharing firsthand operational feedback with the developers themselves.
Some of the equipment Granta acquires embodies concepts long known outside Ukraine but reshaped to meet modern challenges. One example cited by Guoba is the development of antenna masts, the crucial devices that connect drones to their human operators. While such devices are not novel in a general sense, conventional versions were designed for larger, less mobile systems and proved unwieldy in environments where portability and concealment are critical. By contrast, Ukrainian adaptations yield compact, easily deployable units that function effectively even under the dense canopy of trees—precisely the type of terrain where Ukrainian forces often maneuver in order to remain hidden from Russian reconnaissance.
Similarly, Guoba pointed to the production of explosion initiators manufactured in Ukraine. Though items with comparable functions exist globally, few if any were tailored for aerial deployment. Ukrainian manufacturers not only refined their design for drone compatibility but also managed to produce them at the immense scale demanded by the ongoing war, thus enabling their integration into frontline technology where quick supply and standardization are essential.
Yet these advancements are not without complications. Certain Ukrainian-made military-grade components come under strict export restrictions, preventing their shipment abroad. Such constraints mirror similar laws in Western nations, where advanced defense technologies are tightly controlled. As a result, Granta Autonomy has relocated parts of its production process directly into Ukraine, ensuring that drones requiring Ukrainian components can be fully assembled within the country and subsequently transferred to the Ukrainian armed forces. While most of its drones are built outside Ukraine, the integration of sensitive parts now takes place inside the conflict zone, allowing the systems to remain with the Ukrainian military once completed.
Guoba underscored that these collaborations extend beyond commercial necessity; his motivation is also shaped by Lithuania’s national security concerns. As a NATO member located on Russia’s doorstep, Lithuania is acutely aware of the risks posed by Moscow’s aggressive posture. For Guoba and his team, working in Ukraine provides indispensable knowledge of the evolving nature of warfare while simultaneously supporting a neighbor under threat. He admitted that field visits are essential, stressing that direct encounters with combat conditions reveal truths impossible to glean from secondhand reports. For Granta Autonomy, a design is not recognized as a finished product until it has endured battlefield testing. Prior to that, it remains only an idea, a prototype awaiting proof.
One of the company’s most notable drones, the GA-10FPV-AI quadcopter, has already seen extensive use in Ukraine. Designed with resilience against both radio-frequency interference and GPS jamming, the drone represents the type of battlefield-tailored performance that is increasingly vital. Granta has already delivered approximately one thousand units to Ukrainian forces, signed agreements for nearly four thousand more, and simultaneously secured orders from Lithuania’s own defense establishment. Ukraine also deploys another of the company’s designs, the Hornet XR, further highlighting the growing interdependence between Ukrainian requirements and Lithuanian innovation.
This synergy reflects a broader trend: Western companies, as well as defense ministries, recognize Ukraine as a proving ground for military technologies. The UK’s armed forces minister recently emphasized that any drone company not deploying its equipment in Ukraine essentially forfeits relevance, since the battlefield provides unparalleled insight into what modern combat demands. Immediate feedback loops—sometimes as personal as soldiers contacting developers through texts or video calls—create a dynamic of innovation that no controlled laboratory exercise could reproduce.
Ukraine’s own defense industry has undergone astonishing transformation since the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Cut off from reliable access to certain Western systems, Ukrainian engineers were compelled to innovate rapidly, creating both replacements for scarce foreign technologies and entirely new categories of equipment designed for the unique challenges they face. This homegrown ingenuity has captured the attention of NATO members, including Denmark, whose defense minister noted the importance of absorbing Ukrainian lessons into domestic defense industries. The idea is clear: Ukraine has much to teach Europe in terms of wartime adaptation.
For Guoba, these lessons are important not only for defense effectiveness but also for technological independence. He warned that Europe must curtail its reliance on Chinese-manufactured drones and components, given the strategic vulnerabilities inherent in depending on a potential adversary. Ukraine itself initially depended heavily on Chinese drone imports but has deliberately shifted toward domestic production, mitigating risks associated with external reliance. European nations are beginning to make similar moves, particularly in areas like motor development, though Guoba acknowledged that technological gaps persist. He sees it as both a responsibility and an obligation to develop alternatives within Europe, thereby ensuring that essential technology remains close to home, secure from geopolitical uncertainties.
In short, Granta Autonomy’s embrace of Ukrainian innovation offers a small but telling window into the rapidly shifting landscape of modern defense technology. What emerges from the crucible of Ukraine’s battlefield is more than hardware; it is a vital blueprint for survival, alliance cooperation, and Europe’s aspiration to dominate the future of unmanned technology without bowing to external dependencies.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-drone-company-keen-on-ukrainian-parts-2025-8
