Ukraine Unveils Brave1 First Homegrown Guided Bomb

Ukraine says it has developed its first domestically designed guided aerial bomb — Brave1 – a major battlefield shift that could reshape the future of modern warfare.

Ukraine says it has completed development and testing of its first domestically designed guided aerial bomb Brave1, marking another step in Kyiv’s rapid push to build advanced battlefield technology inside the country as the war with Russia continues.

According to Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, the precision-guided bomb Brave1 was created by a participant in the government-backed defense innovation cluster Brave1 and is now ready for combat deployment after passing required trials.

“Development lasted 17 months,” Fedorov said. “The Ukrainian guided aerial bomb has a unique design and was created with the realities of modern warfare in mind. This is not a copy of Western or Soviet solutions, but an original development by Ukrainian engineers designed for the effective destruction of fortifications, command posts, and other enemy targets dozens of kilometers behind the front line after launch.”

The bomb reportedly carries a 250-kilogram warhead and is intended to improve Ukraine’s long-range precision strike capabilities. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has already purchased an initial experimental batch, while pilots are currently training with the system and adapting operational tactics for real combat conditions.

The announcement reflects a broader shift in Ukraine’s wartime defense strategy. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Kyiv has increasingly focused on domestic weapons production to reduce dependence on foreign military supplies and accelerate battlefield innovation. Ukrainian engineers and private defense startups have rapidly expanded work on drones, electronic warfare systems, autonomous naval platforms, missile technologies, and AI-assisted targeting systems.

The development of a domestically produced guided bomb Brave1 could become especially significant as both Ukraine and Russia intensify the use of precision-guided munitions. Russia has heavily relied on glide bombs and modified Soviet-era aerial bombs throughout the war, using them to strike Ukrainian defensive positions and infrastructure from distances that reduce aircraft exposure to air defense systems.

Ukraine’s new weapon appears aimed at countering that advantage while giving Kyiv a scalable precision-strike capability built specifically for modern frontline conditions. Analysts note that locally manufactured systems also allow faster battlefield adaptation and lower long-term logistical dependence on foreign supply chains.

Fedorov said the Brave1 represents Ukraine’s transition “from importing individual solutions to creating its own high-tech weapons that systematically strengthen the Defense Forces and provide a technological advantage on the battlefield.”

“Soon Ukrainian guided bombs will be striking enemy targets,” he added. “We are scaling solutions that increase strike range and accuracy and change the rules of modern warfare.”

The unveiling comes as Ukraine continues to position itself as one of the world’s fastest-growing defense technology ecosystems. Platforms such as Brave1 have become central hubs connecting military units, startups, engineers, and government agencies in the development of battlefield technologies under active wartime conditions.

Defense experts say the growing domestic weapons sector could also shape the future of Europe’s security industry, as Ukrainian combat-tested technologies attract increasing international attention from NATO partners and global defense manufacturers.

This announcement signals more than a single weapons breakthrough — it highlights how Ukraine is transforming wartime necessity into a high-tech innovation economy with growing geopolitical and military significance.

EMPR