One month of DOT-Chain Defence weapons marketplace: 5,600 drones worth UAH 216 million delivered
In the first month of operation, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine delivered 5,600 drones worth a total of UAH 216 million to the front line via the DOT-Chain Defence IT system, developed by the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT).
The ministry reported this on Monday, according to Censor.NET.
What is DOT-Chain Defence
"DOT-Chain Defence has become a platform where combat brigades can directly order various types of UAVs. So far, 12 brigades operating in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Kharkiv directions have joined the project. We are working on scaling up and expanding the marketplace. Our concrete goal is to create a platform that ensures our defenders receive everything they need on time and in sufficient quantity," said Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal.
The IT system works like a conventional online store. But instead of phones or home appliances, troops independently select drones, which are then procured using funds from the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) of the Ministry of Defense.
"DOT-Chain Defence is a breakthrough in supplying the army. The pilot results confirm the system’s effectiveness. We received plenty of feedback from troops about the efficiency of purchases through the marketplace, since they can choose drones for specific missions and receive them not in months but within days. The system has great potential to grow and cover new areas of supply, shaping a modern approach that complements existing procurement mechanisms," said DPA director Arsen Zhumadilov.
Marketplace results
Since the first order on July 31, the system has delivered the following results:
- The supply cycle has been shortened more than fivefold — from several months to just a few days.
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The average delivery time is up to two weeks, with a record result of only five days from order to front-line delivery.
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Opportunity to choose. Troops select exactly the drones they need. At present, 151 drone models are available in the system.
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Active involvement of UAV manufacturers: the marketplace already features products from 25 companies.
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Expanded range: in addition to FPV drones, bomber drones, including heavy models, have been added. The fastest delivery of this type took just 12 days.
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Rising volumes: in total, troops have already ordered more than 11,000 drones worth UAH 397 million.
To further improve DOT-Chain Defence, representatives of the DPA and the DOT conducted three trips to the combat zone, where they spoke directly with troops about how the weapons marketplace works. In response to their requests, work is already underway to scale the system to include new brigades and expand the range of available equipment, from other types of UAVs to electronic warfare and signals intelligence systems, ground robotic platforms, and payload drops.
As reported earlier, military units have already gained the ability to order bomber drones through the DOT-Chain Defence weapons marketplace.
Previously, the first order of FPV drones was fulfilled through the DOT-Chain Defence supply system, which enables units to independently order the specific drone models they need for their missions.
Thanks to the "marketplace" principle, delivery times for weapons have been cut from several months to just one week.
