Ukraine: The Unseen Powerhouse and NATO’s Potential Ally
In recent weeks, the world has been engrossed in discussions about Ukraine’s readiness to become a NATO member and whether the alliance is prepared to extend its collective security umbrella to shield a country at war, with a seemingly permanent security threat on its eastern border. However, there’s a question that has been overlooked: What can Ukraine bring to NATO?
Ukraine, often hailed as the beacon of democracy in Europe, has given NATO a new purpose. Over the last year and a half of active war, Ukraine has not only emerged as a global soft superpower but has also developed very tangible hard skills on the battlefield. Facing off against Russia, the second-best army in the world, Ukraine has proven itself to be the second-best army in Ukraine and, as recent events have shown, the second-best army in Russia.
Ukraine is revolutionizing the future of warfare. It offers military experts and strategists around the world a glimpse into what that future might look like. The country has been rapidly developing new technologies to aid its war efforts and minimize human losses, primarily with the help of entrepreneurial Ukrainian SMEs. The Ukrainian Defense Tech Cluster has united a number of companies, startups, investors, and volunteers to develop the latest and most effective defense technologies that can be quickly and easily deployed on Ukraine’s battlefield.
The army of drones, with capabilities ranging from surveillance to reconnaissance to targeting the enemy’s positions with guided bombs, are already being actively used in the theater of war. The fleet of naval drones that would be ready to target ships or the land drones aimed at removing obstacles and demining Ukrainian terrain are all at the development phase.
However, the most tangible element of war still remains the military hardware, and that is the area where Ukraine holds a legacy that the world knows little about. Back in the days of Soviet rule, Ukraine was home to major strategic military industry plants. These facilities, due to the Soviets’ willingness to limit the sovereignty and self-sufficiency of member states, were designed in a way that would cover only one element of certain equipment’s full production cycle, be it engines for military helicopters or turbines. Nonetheless, the production capacities and the expertise of these factories remain impressive.
The best proof for that is the series of Russian attacks targeting the plants since the beginning of the full-scale war last year. As critical military infrastructure elements, many of them got heavily damaged, but the technologies behind the production and, most importantly, the talent that developed them is still there, ready to be redeployed with the first wave of reconstruction.
Let’s take a look at the most significant ones:
1. The Malyshev Plant, founded in 1927 and situated in Kharkiv, was the initial design bureau of tanks T-34, later T-80s, a series of armored vehicles, and the modern flagship tank Oplot, a modernized T-84, which was created for shipment to the US. The plant, with about 60,000 employees, had an output of 800 tanks a year.
2. The Zorya-Mashproekt Factory in Mykolaiv is known for producing marine gas turbines for hovercrafts, hydrofoils, and ships, including the Ukrainian Navy.
3. The BAZALT plant near Kyiv’s International Airport specializes in subsonic anti-ship cruise missiles Neptunes, the ones that sunk the Russian flagship Moskva.
4. The Yuzhmash, an aerospace manufacturer situated in Dnipro, produces spacecraft, launch vehicles, landing gears, and ballistic missiles.
5. The Luch Design Bureau, founded in 1965 and situated in Kyiv, is responsible for one of the most prominent Ukrainian multiple rocket launcher systems, Vilha, as well as anti-tank guided missiles and air-launched precision weapons.
6. The Motor Sich, an aircraft engine manufacturer headquartered in Zaporizhia, aside from a physical strike on its facilities in May 2022, suffered another hit from the Russians. Alongside supplying engines to Turkish Bayraktar drones, the plant also produced rotary-wing engines that powered Russian military helicopters. After the 2014 invasion, Motor Sich severed its ties with Russia, and in 2021, President Zelensky signed a decree to nationalize the plant as a strategic Ukrainian asset.
In order to rebuild, reform, and regroup the existing capabilities, Ukraine went on the reforming path of UkrOboronProm. From a government-run conglomerate designed to coordinate and manage the military industry of Ukraine, the company has a complex history and a series of alleged corruption scandals dating back to 2016. At the end of June, it has been reconstituted into a joint-stock company and renamed into the Ukrainian Defense Industry.
NATO has shown reluctance to accept Ukraine, and a timeframe has not been set for an invitation nor for membership into the bloc. In response, President Zelensky said it was “unprecedented and absurd” that Ukraine didn’t have more detail on when it could become a NATO member. It is obvious that beyond Ukraine being at war, some NATO members are still not over their fears of provoking Russia, particularly when the usage of nuclear weapons is a possibility.
However, if all the lessons from the war are added to Ukraine’s existing military and industrial capacity, once Russia has been ejected from the country, it may not be up to Kyiv to keep pushing for NATO membership. It may be the case that existing members, especially those on the Eastern flank, staring at a bruised, humiliated, and angry enemy, regardless of who’s in charge, raise their voices and insist Ukraine be allowed to join the club as soon as possible.
In conclusion, Ukraine’s potential as a NATO member is not just about the country’s need for protection but also about the significant contributions it can make to the alliance. The country’s military and industrial capabilities, coupled with its experience in modern warfare, make it a valuable asset. It’s time for NATO to recognize this and welcome Ukraine into its fold.
