Skyeton, a Ukrainian-born aviation production holding and ONBERG Autonomous Systems (ONBERG) – a joint venture between HD Advanced Technologies GmbH (HDAT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), and Ondas Autonomous Systems (OAS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ondas Inc. an American leading provider of autonomous drone and advanced defense technologies – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to scale production and deliver NATO-compliant unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in support of Europe’s urgent defense readiness requirements. The agreement was signed today at ILA Berlin 2026 in the presence of Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, Head of the Directorate-General for Armaments at the Federal Ministry of Defence.
The goal of the strategic partnership is to directly address Europe’s urgent need for defense readiness. Guided by a joint roadmap, the partners intend to establish a Germany-based industrial platform dedicated to the development, industrialization, production, and commercialization of autonomous components and subsystems, in combination with the autonomous systems of ONBERG as part of a multi-domain system. By accelerating production and securing critical allied supply chains, this collaboration aims to deliver reliable UAS tailored to NATO and European operational requirements.
Fusing Skyeton’s battlefield-tested Raybird UAS with ONBERG’s robust industrial infrastructure – leveraging scalable series manufacturing, advanced electronics, and HEIDELBERG’s 175-year heritage of precision engineering, combined with Ondas’ proven expertise in autonomous systems, counter-UAS platforms, and AI-enabled mission technologies puts a continental scale within reach of such alliance.
Scaling and commercialization of Skyeton’s battlefield-tested Raybird UAS – a modular, long-range, high-endurance system built for persistent reconnaissance and seamless future upgrades has been identified as the initial flagship project. By scaling the Raybird systems alongside other autonomous solutions, the cooperation aims to establish a versatile, future-proof portfolio tailored to evolving defense needs. Raybird’s combination with the large UGV of HDAT will be shortly tested in Ukraine and will be subject to the multi domain business the partnership is aiming for.
Skyeton and ONBERG sign a MoU: From the left: Michael Wellenzohn, Advisory Board member at ONBERG & CEO of HD Advanced Technologies GmbH, Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, Head of the Directorate-General for Armaments at the Federal Ministry of Defence and Pavlo Shevchuk, International CEO at Skyeton.
On the occasion of the signing of the agreement, Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki said: “Initiatives like the one signed today between Skyeton and ONBERG are the backbone of Europe’s future defense architecture. By uniting Ukrainian battlefield experience with European manufacturing excellence and allied technological expertise, we are not only reinforcing our collective security, we are building a resilient, sovereign defense industrial base in Europe.”
Underscoring the operational urgency driving the collaboration, Pavlo Shevchuk, International CEO at Skyeton, noted: “The war in Ukraine has fundamentally reset the paradigm of modern warfare: operational resilience, speed and adaptation are non-negotiable. By partnering with ONBERG, we will combine Skyeton’s extensive combat insights and the proven endurance of our systems with world-class European manufacturing and cutting-edge autonomous technology to deliver exactly the capabilities our allies need – at scale and without delay.”
Michael Wellenzohn, Advisory Board member at ONBERG & CEO of HD Advanced Technologies GmbH added: “True defense readiness is more than innovation. It is about scale and assured supply. This partnership will enable ONBERG to bring its deep technological expertise and HEIDELBERG’s legacy of industrial precision to bear in Skyeton’s combat-proven systems to continental scale. Together, we will close the gap between battlefield urgency and European industrial strength, delivering NATO-compliant autonomous solutions that Europe can deploy and rely on at a moment’s notice.”
