Portugal to Manufacture Ukrainian Underwater Drones to Protect Atlantic Cables

Portugal’s Atlantic seaboard may soon host the assembly lines for a new generation of underwater drones, the result of a freshly inked partnership with Ukraine that promises to reshape maritime security – and, potentially, the local defence industry – for years to come.

Fast-track overview

• Joint production of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) in Portugal using Ukrainian designs.

• Focus on shielding Atlantic data cables and other critical infrastructure.

• Preparations for a Portugal–Ukraine economic forum in 2026 to deepen trade links.

• Project could tap Lisbon’s drone champion Tekever and Ukraine’s battle-tested know-how, though neither side has confirmed the industrial line-up.

Why the Atlantic urgently needs robotic sentries

Few countries rely on the seabed as much as Portugal. Almost 99% of the internet traffic that connects Europe to North and South America, Africa and the Middle East travels through fibre-optic cables that traverse Portugal’s 1.7 million-km² Exclusive Economic Zone. A single break can disrupt banks, energy grids and even hospital records within minutes. By pairing with Ukraine, whose sea drones have proven their worth in the Black Sea, Lisbon hopes to deploy autonomous guardians capable of patrolling depths that are difficult and costly for crewed vessels.

Maritime analyst Sofia Pereira, from the Atlantic Security Observatory in Oeiras, argues the appeal is obvious: “A compact flotilla of low-cost, expendable UUVs is far cheaper than keeping a frigate on station and acts as a persistent sensor net against sabotage.”

Inside the deal – what was actually signed?

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a memorandum on 20 December committing both governments to:

Co-production of underwater drones on Portuguese soil, using Ukrainian technology blueprints.

Transfer of Portuguese research expertise – notably in composite hulls, battery endurance and AI-driven navigation – to a pilot plant in Ukraine.

Creation of a joint certification programme so the craft meet NATO and EU operational standards.

Montenegro framed the document as “a turning point in our economic relationship”, while Zelenskyy called maritime robotics “one of the most promising areas of European defence”.

The hardware: what we know – and what we don’t

Officials avoided hard specifications, but Kyiv’s track record offers clues:• The six-metre Marichka UUV already claims a 1,000 km range and can deliver either sensors or explosives.• A smaller Sub Sea Baby design has been tested as a disposable, kamikaze-style drone against submarines.

Portuguese engineers will almost certainly push for longer mission endurance, quieter propulsion and encrypted satcom links suited to the mid-Atlantic. Industry insiders expect Lisbon’s AI-drone specialist Tekever to play a role, although the company would not comment.

Money, markets and manufacturing

Portugal’s current military aid to Kyiv stands at €227.5 M. The new venture is commercial as much as strategic: local yards in Setúbal, Viana do Castelo or even the Alverca aeronautics cluster could secure contracts, creating high-skill jobs and diversifying an economy still heavily dependent on tourism.

European Union backing also sweetens the prospect. Brussels has just approved a €90 B financial facility for Ukraine and fast-tracked the country’s accession talks, opening access to EU research grants that Portuguese firms already master. The bilateral economic forum scheduled for 2026 is likely to spotlight tax incentives and joint-venture funds aimed at maritime tech.

What happens next?

Government sources say a technical team will map out a production timeline during Q1 2026, with a prototype sea trial before year-end. NATO’s Atlantic Command has been briefed and will observe testing. If successful, Portugal could transition from merely operating foreign drones to being a hub for Europe’s underwater robotics supply chain.

Back in Oeiras, analyst Pereira cautions that certification, not fabrication, may prove the slowest hurdle: “Integrating war-tested Ukrainian code with EU cybersecurity protocols is delicate work. But if they crack that, Portugal gains not just drones but a foothold in the digital maritime economy.”

For now, the partnership serves as a reminder that, in the deep ocean as in geopolitics, alliances run on cables we rarely see – and the quiet machines that keep them safe.