Combat-proven drones: “One month in Ukraine replaces ten years of NATO peace” – Primoco UAV

The Czech manufacturer Primoco UAV SE is one of the few European drone companies whose systems have not only been developed but also deployed, further developed and certified under real combat conditions. In an interview, founder Ladislav Semetkovský explains why operational experience from Ukraine cannot be replaced, why subsidies tend to slow innovation down – and why only combat-proven drones with aviation certification deliver genuine military added value.

Mr Semetkovský, your company Primoco UAV SE has been manufacturing the One 150 aircraft since 2015 – how has the concept of this system evolved since its introduction?
The original system design was aimed at protecting critical infrastructure for civilian operators.  An early customer in the Middle East, however, established a military application for border surveillance. The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) interference that is common in that region required the integration of satellite-independent navigation systems – a development that proved to be a decisive advantage when deployed in the war in Ukraine. Our system was one of the first to operate reliably there under jammed conditions. The combat experience in Ukraine led to targeted modifications and performance improvements. In parallel, civil certification has been under way since 2020. After obtaining the European LUC certificate, the SAIL III level under the SORA 2.5 methodology was achieved in 2025 – a world first. Our company is a pioneer in this respect. Since 2020 we have also been pursuing military certification in parallel. In 2025 we became the first company in the world to receive type certification under STANAG 4703, a NATO standard for unmanned aircraft systems. This certification was possible because we already hold an operator and airworthiness certificate under ICAO Annex II. In addition, we have demonstrated compliance with the industry standard IOGP 696 (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers) and obtained further sector-specific approvals.

Since you are active in both areas: in which market segments – military or civilian – are you currently seeing the greatest growth?
At present we have a highly diversified portfolio of operations. Our systems are used, for example, for Schengen border patrols, for reconnaissance missions in Ukrainian combat zones and for environmental monitoring flights in Germany and the Netherlands. In principle, we position our platforms for operational scenarios in which they offer demonstrable added value over manned systems – whether through increased safety or greater operational effectiveness. This includes high-risk missions such as battlefield reconnaissance, environmental missions requiring long endurance and high flight stability, and operations in which low detectability is required because of significant threats.

“In principle, we position our platforms for operational scenarios in which they offer demonstrable added value over manned systems – whether through increased safety or greater operational effectiveness.”

How has the geopolitical situation affected your company's development since 2022, particularly in the procurement of military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)?
Operational experience in Ukraine, currently our main market, has significantly accelerated our development, but what is decisive is the knowledge gained. In my assessment, one month of flight operations under Ukrainian combat conditions corresponds to roughly ten years of peacetime operations in NATO structures. In Europe, the operating conditions that our systems and trained crews face in Ukraine cannot be simulated even remotely. By contrast, we still observe a certain structural inertia in European countries.

In what way?
The political discourse on European autonomy and the expansion of drone capacities is omnipresent – but concrete implementation measures are lacking. There is apparently a lack of ability to set clear priorities and to recognise that only certified and combat-proven systems have operational value. Within NATO we have established clear standards with the STANAG norms, but these are often unknown to European procurement authorities and are not systematically required in tenders. A positive exception worth highlighting is the approach of the Austrian Ministry of Defence, whose current RfI (Request for Information) explicitly takes into account the operational lessons of recent years. Unfortunately, this is the exception rather than the rule. Yet consistent application of these standards would certainly be worthwhile – as the considerable problems European countries have had with non-European technology impressively demonstrate.

What role does EU funding or European cooperation play for your company, compared with national programmes?
In practice, it tends towards zero. We deliberately forgo state or transnational funding, as this often leads to “development according to the grants” rather than to market-driven, competitive development. In the ten years of our company's history we have watched dozens of competitors choose the path of subsidy financing – most of them no longer exist on the market today. If a company cannot convince customers through product quality, it will not be successful in the long term – regardless of the level of funding. Our entire company was founded with private capital and is today financed entirely from its own operating funds. This is our strength: we are completely independent, and we owe our success solely to proving ourselves in a demanding market environment. In other words: we only develop what we consider marketable. Customers are the best indicator of our development direction – not multinational funding structures.

“We only develop what we consider marketable. Customers are the best indicator of our development direction – not multinational funding structures.”

Which strategic partnerships have you entered into in recent years to open up international markets?
We cooperate with leading manufacturers in the aerospace industry – a collaboration that works because we are not in direct competition with one another. We pursue two different partnership models: we work with companies such as Airbus Defence and Space and Deutsche Telekom, where we pursue joint programmes and benefit from the synergies of both worlds. In the case of Airbus, we fill a gap in their portfolio and at the same time enable the validation of their future technologies on our platforms – a win-win situation.

And with Deutsche Telekom …
… our approved system enables a qualitatively new form of support for terrestrial mobile network signals in emergency situations or at sporting and major events. We also cooperate with sensor manufacturers. Thanks to our platform and integration resources, we can implement new functionalities efficiently – for example airport calibration or radio-frequency spectrum monitoring. Strategically, we deliberately focus on European partners in order to strengthen the European industrial landscape.

In Austria your company cooperates with Test-Fuchs. How does this cooperation work and what are your goals?
We selected Test-Fuchs as a strategic partner for our mobile maintenance concept – a decision that goes far beyond a possible offer to the Austrian Ministry of Defence. The choice fell on Test-Fuchs because of proven reliability, relevant experience and impressive technical expertise and innovative strength. Together we have developed a maintenance workstation that – I dare to claim – is unique worldwide. At the same time, it solves a universal problem of all drone operators: technical support anywhere in the world, regardless of the place of deployment. We are very satisfied with this partnership.

So your system is also of interest to the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer)? Are you holding talks in this regard?
The Austrian Armed Forces are particularly close to our hearts. We value their pragmatic, predictable approach, which focuses consistently on finding optimal solutions to ensure operational capabilities. It is no secret that we took part in the RfI (Request for Information) and are now awaiting the RfQ phase (Request for Quotation). In parallel, we are negotiating with the Austrian government, as we would like to offer a solution that can operate throughout Austrian airspace – not only on military training areas with closed airspace. I am convinced that we can offer the Austrian Armed Forces an exceptional range of scalable capabilities with a spiral development path – as a fully European solution. It is a combat-proven and comprehensively certified system. Evidence of our confidence in the system's reliability is our “Power by the Hour” maintenance programme. Under it, we assume the customer's typical operational risks – including the replacement of total losses within a calculable financial framework.

“I am convinced that we can offer the Austrian Armed Forces an exceptional range of scalable capabilities with a spiral development path – as a fully European solution.”

The One 150 aircraft is capable of autonomous flight – how far have you come with your autonomous navigation and control software compared with earlier versions?
Together with Airbus Defence and Space, we have integrated their AI system Airbus Mindsphere into our platforms. While most competitors limit themselves to autonomous target acquisition, we pursue a more comprehensive approach: fully autonomous flight control in so-called “offline” mode. Our system is able to carry out the entire flight independently and adapt the mission profile dynamically – based on detected targets, threats or other operational information. The system searches for and classifies targets independently across different spectra. This technology is not at the concept stage: a first customer has already ordered a considerable number of platforms with this capability. Our task covers not only developing the system for operational use but also ensuring compliance with aviation regulations. Here, in my assessment, we have unique capabilities and experience. This represents a fundamental shift in operational capabilities in the context of modern “metal-against-metal” warfare, in which the first level of engagement is fought out by autonomous systems instead of humans. With our means, this concept can be realised without endangering one's own soldiers.

Which sensor and other functions are currently available in Primoco, and what developments do you expect in the near future?
We have more than 60 approved sensor configurations – from optical and multispectral sensors and SIGINT systems to mission-specific special sensors. However, we are increasingly reaching the physical limits of individual sensors. With our current platform size, for example, we can identify tanks at a distance of more than 20 kilometres – a further increase in range is physically impossible. Our answer here is the integration of sensor data originating from several drones. SIGINT sensors in particular enable detection ranges of hundreds of kilometres. In our view, the future lies not in optimising individual platforms but in networking: integrating data from our systems with other battlefield elements. The goal is a complete, real-time digital battlefield map for commanders and operational units.

In which specific application scenarios do customers use the One 150 aircraft today, and which new deployment scenarios are you preparing?
The main task of our military systems is reconnaissance in high-risk environments – characterised by GNSS and communications jamming as well as air defence threats. This mission must be guaranteed regardless of time of day, visibility and weather conditions – an extremely demanding requirement. For military purposes we are therefore working on developing these capabilities and on cooperating with companies that manufacture sensors with which we can see and identify the enemy before he notices that we are observing him. We can currently identify high-value targets with such precision and at such distances that covert intelligence gathering becomes possible – both to prepare direct operations and to covertly avoid combat. In addition, we are developing further specific capabilities that we cannot currently talk about publicly. These include, among other things, deception and diversion measures as well as other operational effects.

“In our view, the future lies not in optimising individual platforms but in networking: integrating data from our systems with other battlefield elements. The goal is a complete, real-time digital battlefield map for commanders and operational units.”

Could you share a few words with us about the future development of the Primoco One 150 aircraft, but also about the development of the company Primoco? What are your medium- to long-term goals?
After ten years on the market, we have developed into a distinctive manufacturer with a unique market position. As an approved military production and development organisation, at the end of last year we became the first company in the world to receive the military ATO certificate (Approved Training Organisation). This entitles us to train future operators on our own airfield and at other locations. What is standard in manned aviation is a world first in unmanned aviation. Our medium-term strategy is based on narrowing the gap between manned and unmanned aviation through comprehensive certification. Only when our customers' aviation authorities recognise the high operational safety of our systems and the competence of our organisation will they be prepared to grant unrestricted operating approvals. Linked to this is the development of our type certification under STANAG 4703 and also, for example, the development of civil approvals such as the planned application for Design Verification (DVR) with EASA. Later this year we will open a state-of-the-art training centre at our airport in Písek (South Bohemian Region) – in our assessment the most modern in the world. It comprises flight operations, simulators and other training elements. Two years later, production will be relocated to the same site – into a completely newly built plant with significantly increased capacity. In parallel, we are working on continuously improving our platform: new communication systems, a new engine and further functions are in the test phase. The core of our long-term strategy lies in capabilities, not in individual technical solutions.

Last but not least, what role does the Czech Republic ultimately play in your innovation strategy, and how will the Czech defence industry develop?
Many state authorities in the Czech Republic actively support our development today – even though they were very reticent at first and initially did not believe in our vision. I would particularly like to highlight the Civil Aviation Authority (ÚCL) and the Military Aviation Authority department of the Ministry of Defence, which have supported us significantly with approvals and certifications. Without this cooperation – but also without the cooperation with institutions such as the Czech Technical University (ČVUT) and other organisations – our development would not have been possible. We benefit from the great advantage that the Czech Republic has a long aviation tradition. This gives us access to unique capabilities and expertise. We work with selected Czech defence companies, although the overlaps are limited.  This is primarily because the local industry is focused on other technologies, while drones are still largely a “start-up” domain. Our strategy is based on complete independence – only in this way can we consistently realise our vision. We belong to the Czech defence industry, but are operationally independent of it.