Ukraine's defense industry underwent a major expansion in 2025, with the Ministry of Defense approving more than 1,300 new domestically produced weapons and military equipment models for operational use. In early 2026, Kyiv began issuing its first wartime export licenses, publicly signaling a shift toward scaling arms exports and building a defense-industrial base capable of sustaining long-term production.
As "Hvylya" reported, citing analysis in War on the Rocks, defense analyst Ryan Evans described this expansion as an opening that Washington should exploit. Rather than donating limited weapons stocks, Evans argued, the United States should transfer technology and production know-how. Specifically, Ukraine needs the expertise and permissions to mass-produce its own long-range drones, cruise missiles, and other precision strike systems at scale.
Concretely, Evans called for easing technology transfer barriers under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations managed by the State Department. Because Ukraine lacks formal alliance status and is not designated a Major Non-NATO Ally — a category that grants preferred access to American arms and technology — it faces standard export restrictions on guidance packages, software, design data, and critical components. Evans argued that many of these barriers can and should be lowered.
Ukraine has reportedly been preparing the legal framework for a joint arms production venture with the United States, while also considering consortia with international partners to build more advanced air defense systems. Evans described the goal as transferring "the information and permissions needed for building production capacity" so Ukraine can sustain its own long-term weapons manufacturing.
Evans framed the expansion as part of a broader strategic argument. "These measures combined would put Ukraine in a different league than it is now," he wrote, adding that a stronger Ukrainian defense sector can impose costs on Russia without compromising the U.S. military's ability to operate in other theaters from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.
Also read on "Hvylya": how a major European defense manufacturer acknowledged that Ukraine's low-cost drones are outperforming conventional armored platforms.