Innovating at the pace of relevance
The case of Ukrainian unmanned systems
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20208071 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emilie Berthelsen (0009-0007-4575-3873, Technical University of Denmark, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-34 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Defence Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1470-2436 • E-ISSN: 1743-9698 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14702436.2026.2692416 |
| OpenAlex | W7165625882 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
Drones have become pivotal in the Russo‐Ukrainian war, yet the mechanisms behind their transformation to a key military capability remain poorly understood. This article examines how Ukrainian state, military, and commercial actors applied an open innovation model to scale unmanned systems during Russia’s full‐scale invasion. Using a case study approach and data from 36 stakeholder interviews, it identifies the key actors and organisational structures – like the Unmanned Systems Force and the Brave1 platform – that shaped battlefield innovation across three stages of ecosystem development. The findings highlight the critical role of engineer‒soldier collaboration and inclusion of non-traditional defence technology producers. Sustaining innovation required significant bureaucratic adaptation, including new organisational actors and institutional mechanisms that facilitated decentralised development and cross‐governmental coordination. The study underscores the value of structures that support rapid iterative development and simplified procurement, and contributes theoretical and practical insights into the procedural aspects of military innovation in software-defined systems
Battlefield · Bureaucracy · Corporate governance · Drone · Pace · Stakeholder · Ukrainian · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · Military Strategy and Technology
Explicating Open Innovation
Reluctant middlemen
Transformation of the Strategic Culture of Ukraine under the Influence of the Russian Threat
Emulating underdogs
Drones have boots
Horses, nails, and messages
Why Drones Have Not Revolutionized War
Dangerous Changes
Defence innovation and the 4 th industrial revolution in Russia
Coping with Knowledge
A one-way attack drone revolution? Affordable mass precision in modern conflict
Looking back to look forward
The future of military innovation studies
Military Maladaptation
Robot wars
Hybrid times
From closed to open systems
Organising Adaptation in War
Genius and Mastery in Military Innovation
Case Study Methods in the International Relations Subfield
Military Innovation's Dialectic
The Diffusion of Drone Warfare? Industrial, Organizational, and Infrastructural Constraints
Using triangulation to validate themes in qualitative studies
The Ethical Challenges of Field Research in Conflict Zones
Transformation in contact
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |