Canadian defense firm Calian Group and Ukraine’s SkyFall have signed a strategic partnership to deliver advanced drone training for NATO and allied forces.
The collaboration will blend lessons from Ukraine’s drone war with Calian’s military training and simulation experience.
SkyFall will contribute its frontline drone expertise, while Calian will help build and deliver programs within NATO-aligned frameworks.
The partnership will also support the expansion of SkyFall Academy, a training center certified by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence. It has trained over 30,000 Ukrainian military personnel over the past three years.
Meanwhile, Calian has already trained more than 300,000 personnel for Canadian, British, NATO, and other allied forces, giving the partnership an established route to bring Ukraine’s drone war lessons to allied troops.
Building on Canada-Ukraine Defense Ties
The team-up aligns with recent bilateral defense agreements signed between Canada and Ukraine.
Launched in Alberta, the “100-Year Partnership” and the “Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation” aim to further accelerate technology transfers, enhance allied interoperability, and adopt Ukrainian frontline innovations into Ottawa’s military doctrine.
“Ukraine has demonstrated the speed at which unmanned systems, tactics and countermeasures can evolve in modern conflict,” Calian CEO Patrick Houston stated.
“Learning directly from SkyFall’s experience in Ukraine will strengthen the expertise of our instructors and help ensure military personnel are prepared for the realities of modern operations.”
Opening NATO Access
SkyFall Director Mykola Makovieiev said the partnership would give the Ukrainian company greater access to NATO-aligned training standards and allied training infrastructure.
“This partnership brings together complementary capabilities,” he explained. “We will develop joint programs designed to keep pace with the rapidly evolving role of unmanned technologies.”
