Berlin and Kyiv have launched the “Brave Germany” program, a partnership aimed at jointly developing defense technologies, long-range strike systems, and AI-assisted drones. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart Mykhailo Fedorov signed this agreement on Monday, May 11th, in Kiev.
This military and industrial partnership, which aims to accelerate the production of new weapons systems, will also involve joint support for innovative startups in the defense sector. The German minister, who visited Kiev on May 11th without prior announcement, explained to the German press agency (DPA) that Germany and Ukraine are already “strategic partners benefiting from this cooperation, resulting in numerous new projects.” He also provided more details on the new “Brave Germany” program, emphasizing the development of the most modern unmanned systems at all ranges, especially in the field of deep strike.
Drones assisted by AI
The Ukrainian Defense Minister stated that Germany has become the global leader in security support to Ukraine. Following his visit to Berlin last month, he had announced on Telegram that Germany and Ukraine had agreed on a new defense package worth four billion euros. According to the European news site Euronews, this package includes financing for several hundred Patriot missiles and 36 IRIS-T launchers to enhance air defense. It also involves a joint production of “Mid Strike” drones assisted by AI, with 5,000 of them planned for the Ukrainian armed forces. These capabilities are expected to disrupt Russian logistics in the near future and serve as “long-range sanctions” against the Kremlin.
Priority: producing long-range missiles
A gap that this new partnership should prioritize filling is in the area of “deep strike” weapons, where even Berlin is still lacking. Currently, the German army only has one long-range weapon, the Taurus cruise missile, with a range of over 500 kilometers. The future deployment of American long-range Tomahawk missiles remains uncertain, following announcements of reduced US military presence in Europe by Donald Trump.
Kiev, on the other hand, is focusing all its energy on developing these long-range missiles. In January, Ukraine signed a partnership with London called “Project Nightfall” to accelerate the production of ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets within 500 km inside Russian territory. Recently, Ukraine unveiled its own long-range missile, the FP-5 “Flamingo,” capable of hitting targets over 1,300 kilometers away. It has reportedly been used on multiple occasions, such as in February when Ukraine targeted the industrial city of Votkinsk, where Russian Iskander missiles are believed to be produced, and in early May against a missile and drone production factory Shahed 700 km from Moscow.
With a wingspan of 6 meters and weighing 6,000 kilograms, this first system of heavy Ukrainian-made missiles could significantly increase Ukraine’s striking power if developed on an industrial scale with Germany’s assistance. This expansion could benefit both Berlin and Europe.
