Boeing Signs Drone Deal with Ukrainian Firm at Farnborough Airshow

Boeing has signed a preliminary agreement with Ukrainian aerospace and defense company Antonov, which could see the pair collaborating in the production of drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The pair announced the memorandum of understanding on Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow, which promises to "explore opportunities to collaborate on defense-related projects."

According to a statement on Boeing's website, areas of potential cooperation include "training, logistical support and overhaul services for tactical unmanned aerial systems utilized by the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

While Boeing manufactures several UAVs - including the lightweight RQ-21A Blackjack and the MQ-25 Stingray mid-air refueller - the company's statement made mention of the ScanEagle UAV, a lightweight, long-endurance drone manufactured by the Boeing subsidiary Insitu.

Insitu claims that the 1.6-by-3.1-meter drone can fly for up to 18 hours, reach an altitude of 19,500 feet, and provide "persistent daytime and night time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in some of the most extreme environments in the world."

In August 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense promised to send 15 of these systems to Ukraine as part of a $755 million Security Assistance package.

In February, a Boeing ScanEagle was shot down by a Russian Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile system, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

"Since the beginning of 2024, the Tor-M2 anti-air system crew from Baikal region have managed to wipe out more than 20 Armed Forces of Ukraine unmanned aerial vehicles, namely Furia, Leleka, and others. But a special pride of the crew was the destruction of the U.S.-made ScanEagle UAV," a statement obtained by Defense Mirror read.

The companies will also "also explore opportunities for Antonov to provide engineering support to Boeing," according to Boeing's announcement.

Antonov CEO Ievhen Gavrylov said: "This agreement brings a whole new level of opportunity to implement the latest and most effective solutions – in addition to the possibility of future projects with Boeing in the aerospace and defense industry."

"We're pleased to continue working with the Antonov Company to support Ukraine development and economic growth," said Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. "This agreement demonstrates our ongoing efforts to find more opportunities to work with Ukrainian industry."

Boeing has collaborated with Antonov even before the outbreak of war in February 2022.

In 2018, Antonov signed a supply agreement with Boeing Subsidiary Avial Services Inc, who agreed to provide "after-sales support and manufacturing" of Antonov's An-148, An-158 and An-178 passenger planes.

While financial details of their new endeavor were not disclosed, the Antonov deal is likely to be less lucrative than the others struck by Boeing during the Farnborough Airshow.

On Monday, the company secured an billions in aircraft sales thanks to a bulk order by Korean Air Lines for 20 777-9s, the company's newest passenger jet currently undergoing FAA certification flights, 20 787-10 Dreamliners and the option for a further 10 787s.

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