The military service program “Contract 18-24” is going to be expanded to include specialties related to unmanned systems. About this reported Pavlo Palis, deputy head of the Office of the President.
He reminded that the main part of the destruction of enemy equipment and personnel is provided by UAV operators – according to him, “80% of the damage to enemy equipment and personnel is the merit of UAV calculations.” That is why the possibility of expanding the scope of the “18-24” program to drone specialists is currently being considered.
Palisa also noted that the duration of the contract for such specialties should be longer, since the training and adaptation of drone pilots requires much more time than in the infantry.
“One can argue for a long time about the role of the tank in modern warfare or the ways of using artillery, but it is impossible to deny the importance of drones. I know that there is a lot of discussion about the strategy of expanding the program. I would be glad to hear any thoughts on this matter.” – noted Palisa.
As a reminder, on February 11, 2025, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially launched a new format of voluntary service “Contract 18-24” for willing Ukrainians who are ready to join the Defense Forces for a period of one year.
