“The attitude of the state and private defense business has changed significantly,” said Oleg Vysotsky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RPA «Practika», a member of the Management Board of the League of Defense Companies of Ukraine, in an interview with the Defense Industrial Communications Company.

According to him, there is a constructive dialogue between the private defense industry and the power structures, in particular, the customer – and not least thanks to the creation of the League of Defense Enterprises of Ukraine, which has become a “powerful organization”.

The industrialist, as an example, informed that, after learning about the work on the development of documentation for new communication vehicles, RPA «Practika» appealed to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and received all the necessary documentation. “The Ministry of Defense invites us and several other enterprises that should give an answer regarding their readiness to carry out certain works in this area,” said the Chairman of the Board of Directors of RPA «Practika».

Vysotsky, stating an improvement in the situation with public-private partnership, said that “today there is a signed decision on the modernization of two armored personnel carriers.”

Nevertheless, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of RPA «Practika» noted the presence of negative sides. “We are participating for the first time in the state defense order and signed a contract in December [2016] regarding the supply of products in 10 months, but the advance was received only after 4 months, which created technological difficulties for the implementation of this contract,” said the developer and manufacturer of military vehicles . At the same time, he added that “he does not understand the delay in the advance payment by the Ministry of Defense.”

Mr. Vysotsky also noted that the company has “some experience of exporting armored cars to 12 countries”, after which he had the conviction to export defense assignment “only through a powerful state intermediary”.

Speaking about the League of Defense Enterprises of Ukraine, a member of the Board of the public association noted that he as an industrial representative “went to the League in order to create joint products.” “I’m making cars, but just a car is not really needed right now, machines with weapons, navigation, etc. are needed, so the League should unite entrepreneurs, producers who are able to staff a good, modern product,”– Vysotsky explained. He also said that the League signed a memorandum with SC “Ukroboronprom”, which will allow producing joint products.