Why ORQA Says Ukraine Is Key to Building Better NATO Drone Tech

ORQA, a Croatian drone and drone-technology company, says working in Ukraine is the best way to ensure its gear meets NATO’s needs for a future fight. The company already supplies parts and systems to two dozen NATO allies, but it wants to draw on Ukraine’s battlefield experience to improve its products. CEO Srđan Kovačević told Business Insider that working in Ukraine creates a way to channel operational expertise into products built to NATO standards.

ORQA produces components used by Ukrainian defense tech company General Cherry and is partnering with the firm to jointly make drone systems. The companies intend to manufacture in both countries, supplying NATO and its allies with Ukrainian-developed counter-drone technology while expanding Ukraine’s domestic production of drone components. The partnership is also aimed at spreading Ukraine’s drone expertise without undermining its wartime needs.

The article describes the war in Ukraine as the most intense drone war ever fought, making battlefield feedback especially valuable for companies building unmanned systems. ORQA is also studying how Ukraine’s defense industry scales, moves quickly, and operates in wartime. Kovačević said the West has deep technology expertise, while Ukraine has lived experience applying technology to modern warfare.

ORQA says one goal is to strengthen Ukraine’s domestic production of drone components and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. Kovačević said Ukraine is relying heavily on non-Ukrainian and non-European supply chains, calling reduced dependence strategically important. ORQA says it manufactures key components in-house and avoids Chinese-made parts to strengthen its supply chain.