Dispersed military production: Ukraine's lesson Europe is starting to consider

The ongoing war in Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped not only modern conflict tactics but also the protection of defense industries. Faced with relentless Russian drone and missile attacks, many Ukrainian military companies have abandoned the traditional model of large, centralized factories. Instead, they are adopting a distributed production strategy, spreading operations across numerous smaller sites.

Ukrainian officials and defense industry representatives suggest that European nations may need to consider a similar approach as continental security concerns escalate. Industrial infrastructure has become a prime target for Russian forces, with military production facilities, including those used by Western companies, repeatedly hit by missiles and drones. In response, manufacturers are dividing their activities among multiple locations, sometimes moving operations underground, to mitigate the risk of a single strike incapacitating their entire output.

While this distributed model incurs additional costs and organizational complexity, it significantly reduces the potential for a single attack to cripple production. Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, believes that some European countries should seriously analyze this option, stating, "There are countries for which such an approach would be justified."

Ark Robotics, a company specializing in ground drones and autonomous technologies, exemplifies this transformation. CEO "Achi" explained that their core strategy involves separating production stages across different locations. Components are manufactured in distinct centers, minimizing the risk of compromising the entire operation. "Ideally, a large, integrated factory would be more efficient. But in the current conditions, we cannot afford to become an obvious target," he stated. The company, headquartered in Estonia with an R&D center in Kyiv, has engineers working across Europe, and system testing occurs even near the front lines. The extent of Russian attacks has prompted Ark Robotics to expand some production to other European states.