Orqa, together with a Ukrainian company, starts the production of interceptor drones

The unmanned aerial vehicle technology company Orqa from Osijek and the Ukrainian defense technology company General Cherry have signed an agreement on strategic cooperation on the development of unmanned aerial systems, Orqa reported on Tuesday.

The partnership will reportedly focus on the development and production of interceptor drones, components and other unmanned aerial systems. At the same time, work is being done to establish joint production facilities in Croatia and Ukraine, and the first products are expected very soon, according to the press release.

Interceptor drones are specialized in neutralizing enemy drones in the air. Unlike classic anti-aircraft systems that use expensive missiles, these drones are a cost-effective solution for combating swarms of drones and kamikaze aircraft.

“This cooperation will enable NATO allies to directly procure the most advanced Interceptor drones through an independent and reliable European supply chain. The possibility of defense forces of allied countries to be supplied with superior technological solutions will directly strengthen NATO's resilience and contribute to the security of European skies, without depleting Ukrainian resources,” the statement said.

“This partnership is based on an innovative model of joint production that allows us to combine the proven operational know-how and experience of General Cherry with our technology and for the first time outside Ukraine offer the capabilities of effective air defense against modern unmanned threats. This is an important step forward, by which we put high-performance systems at the service of the security of all our allies,” said the co-founder and executive director of Orqa, Srđan Kovačević.

“We are launching a significant and promising partnership with a company that brings more than a decade of experience and leading expertise in the drone industry. Our common goal is to help build a new European and global security architecture with the help of Ukraine's unique wartime experience and Orqa's technological expertise,” said Jaroslav Grishin, co-founder of General Cherry.

Source: HRT