Ukraine Can Revive Aircraft Manufacturing Through Partnership with India and Invest in the Development of Long-Range Weapons

The partnership between Ukraine and India could be the key to reviving Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing, as well as opening new opportunities for funding the creation of modern long-range weapons. Experts note that Ukraine has all the prerequisites for launching joint aircraft production with India, and the resources obtained from this could be directed towards the development of air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 200 kilometers.

This is reported by AgroReview

Potential for Joint Production and Strategic Importance of India

Valentin Badrak, Director of the Army Research Center, emphasized that India is gradually changing its foreign policy orientation, moving away from cooperation with Russia in favor of partnerships with the United States and European countries. According to him, this opens a strategic niche for Ukraine in strengthening military-technical cooperation with India.

“During his visit to Kyiv in August 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted on the establishment of joint defense enterprises in India,” the expert recalled.

Revival of Aircraft Manufacturing and Prospects for the Ukrainian Defense Industry

Analysts note that New Delhi is already interested in starting joint production of aircraft engines with Ukraine. In the future, India could become one of the main customers for the latest military transport aircraft An-178, which could potentially be produced directly in Indian factories. Such a move, according to specialists, would effectively revive domestic aircraft manufacturing, which has practically halted since the transfer of the state enterprise “Antonov” under the management of “Ukroboronprom” in April 2015 – since then, no new aircraft have been produced.

Thanks to new partnership projects with India, Ukraine could attract additional financial inflows that would not only allow for the revival of the industry but also enable investment in the development of modern weaponry, including long-range missiles, thereby enhancing the country’s defense capabilities.