Ukraine war: Auterion and Airlogix partner for mass production of autonomous drones

Auterion and Airlogix have announced a joint venture to produce thousands of autonomous strike drones for Ukraine. The venture aims to bolster the Ukrainian Armed Forces and support broader NATO defence efforts, adding to the other initiatives in this field. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on February 13, 2026.

Auterion and Airlogix announced a new joint venture on 13 February 2026 during the Munich Security Conference in Germany. This initiative aims to manufacture AI-guided unmanned aerial systems for Ukraine and allied nations. The Ukrainian government has already requested thousands of these systems from the new entity, according to the press release. 

The press release states that this deal represents one of the largest European commitments to drone production for Ukraine to date. It is not exactly clear what this means, as tens of thousands of drones have been procured through the Drone Capability Coalition. An order for 30,000 FPVs was signed in January 2025, for example, and 85,000 drones had been delivered by October of that year. At the same time, an additional order for 35,000 interceptor drones was anticipated in the near future. 

Moving past that, the press release explains that the partnership integrates Ukrainian combat expertise with NATO-standard autonomous software and European manufacturing capacity. Specifically, it will use Airlogix drones and Auterion AI-enabled guidance packages. This includes AI guidance, autonomous navigation, and electronic warfare resilience. 

Production will take place in Germany to ensure supply chain resilience, as well as rapid scaling to meet urgent operational demands. Initial deliveries are scheduled to begin within 2026.

Scaling autonomous drones in Europe

The press release notes that this collaboration will also be able to fulfil the procurement requirements for the German Armed Forces. Therefore, the venture serves the strategic needs of both nations simultaneously. 

Of course this JV is not the only partnership in the field of drone procurement for Ukraine. Helsing and Stark have both developed strike systems with varying degrees of autonomy. The German MoD has placed contracts for their systems, HX-2 and Vertus respectively, both for its own assessments and to support Ukraine. 

The Auterion and Airlogix drones will join a growing number of systems with increasing levels of autonomy in Europe. This should mean that armed forces will have an array of drones to choose from when equipping themselves for future operations. Indeed, the experience gained from equipping Ukraine is understood to be guiding some procurement. Certain defence ministries are quite well aware of what is working against Russian jamming and what is not, for example. 

Calibre comment: Combat drives adaptation 

There is a drive amongst western militaries to innovate. ‘Innovation wins wars,’ is the essence of what some people proclaim. But the curious thing about innovation is that it has different interpretations depending on who you are. It could be argued that the current situation in Ukraine is very unique and specific to that war, and the way it has been conducted. 

A war between NATO and Russia would be very different. 

So, innovating with current systems to mimic or build upon what is happening in Ukraine might mean that NATO soldiers go to war with systems that aren’t fit for what they face. It stands to reason that moderate innovation and exploration is a sensible approach. This might mean using defence science organisations to explore new concepts and stress test them, whilst doubling down on what works. 

Another approach is to extract themes and trends from a conflict and apply them to one’s own situation. For instance, it is reasonably certain that Russia will maintain its edge in the electronic warfare that makes autonomous drones necessary in Ukraine. Because of this, NATO can develop its own autonomous systems confident that they will provide value if war ever comes. 

If you would like to know more about battlefield autonomy and support Calibre Defence, please do check out the links below: 

• LendurAI secures €5.7 million seed funding to scale drones – Calibre Defence 
• Oshkosh receives $29.9 mn contract for ROGUE autonomy – Calibre Defence 
• HX-2 strike drone in test with France, Germany and the UK – Calibre Defence 
• Germany orders loitering munitions from Stark and Helsing – Calibre Defence 

The lead image is a banner provided by Auterion to announce the partnership.