Ukraine will have the most important defense industrial base in the free world, former CIA chief predicts |
Ukraine will have the most important defense industrial base in the free world, former CIA chief predicts
The transformation of warfare since Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago is also changing how countries must adapt their defense industries, and Kyiv is leading the way, according to former CIA director and retired Gen. David Petraeus.
In an interview with World at Stake earlier this week, he called Ukraine the “arsenal of democracy,” a term first used to describe the U.S. during World War II as it sustained allies with weapons and supplies.
“Ukraine in the future, I think, will be the most important military industrial complex in the free world,” Petraeus said. “It is producing cutting-edge unmanned systems, not just in the air, but on the ground and at sea.”
Ukraine’s integration of hardware and software is also extraordinary, he noted, adding the pace of innovation is constant. Software updates come in less than a week, and hardware changes come every few weeks.
In fact, Ukraine has recently developed new, more advanced drones with longer ranges that have evaded air defenses, allowing them to attack vital oil facilities deep inside Russian territory.
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