One of Summa Defence's UAVs, in an image published via press release on 28 November 2024, as the company announced plans to build a drone production facility in Finland with its Ukrainian partners. (Summa Defence Ltd)
Finnish defence and security technology group Summa Defence Ltd, in collaboration with its Ukrainian partners, plans to produce more than 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) per year, Jussi Holopainen, CEO and president of Summa Defence Ltd, told Janes on 29 November.
He also stated that Summa Defence does not plan to build new facilities but use old ones, with production starting in the first half of 2025 and that Ukraine will be provided with the first batch of UAVs produced through the venture over the course of 2025.
The “industrial-scale” UAV production will be part of the group's plans to establish a facility in Finland with its Ukrainian partners “to rapidly increase production capacity for drones used in combat in Ukraine”, according to the company's press release on 28 November.
The company said that to do this it will establish a subsidiary called Summa Drones Ltd, which “will then form a joint venture in Finland with its Ukrainian partners, with Summa Drones holding the majority ownership”.
Summa Defence said its future subsidiary Summa Drones would also manufacture marine drones, which could mean either unmanned surface vessels (USVs) or unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) as part of the venture.
“Drones will be delivered not only to Ukraine but also across the European Union and NATO countries,” Holopainen said.
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