--- title: "Defense Procurement Agency First Purchases Tactical Missiles, Aircraft, and 5,000 Pickups in 2026: Drone Contracts Up 300%" description: "In 2026, the DPA purchased tactical missiles, aircraft, and off-road vehicles for the first time, announced a record tender for 5,000 pickups, and increased drone contracts (excluding FPVs) by 300% compared to all of 2025." date: 2026-10-21T10:31:01.239Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/dpa-procurement-2026-tactical-missiles-aircraft-pickups tags: [ukraine, defense-procurement, drones, artillery, military, aerospace] author: "Alexander Buran, Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Defense Procurement Agency First Purchases Tactical Missiles, Aircraft, and 5,000 Pickups in 2026: Drone Contracts Up 300% ![Military fighter jets of the Ukrainian Air Forces flying in the sky in combat readiness](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/21/aoz-zakupki-2026-takticheskie-rakety-samolety-pikapov/aoz-zakupki-2026-takticheskie-rakety-samolety-pikapov-1.webp) ## Key Points - In 2026, the DPA included tactical missiles, aircraft, quad bikes, motorcycles, and buggies in its procurement for the first time. - The agency announced the largest public procurement tender in history for 5,000 pickups and completed its most expensive purchase—155mm long-range rounds. - Supplier competition saved about 16% (roughly one billion hryvnias) on artillery rounds. - Contracts for drones (excluding FPVs) grew by 300% compared to 2025, and FPV drone deliveries increased nearly 3.7 times. - Artem Romanyukov has been serving as the acting director of the DPA since September 1, 2026. In 2026, the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) significantly expanded the range of products it acquires for the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Alongside traditional weapons, ammunition, and military equipment, this year's procurement portfolio includes tactical missiles and aircraft for the first time, as well as light off-road vehicles—quad bikes, motorcycles, and buggies. The agency provided these data in an RBC-Ukraine report dedicated to new military procurements and deficit items. ### New Categories in the Procurement Portfolio According to DPA representatives, the agency covers a wide spectrum of Defense Forces needs: from weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to unmanned systems, transport, clothing property, nutrition, and fuel. Among the new categories appearing this year, besides tactical missiles and aircraft, are quad bikes, motorcycles, and buggies. In the clothing and gear sector, female body armor and anti-fragmentation suits have appeared for the first time. ### Record-Breaking Tenders for Vehicles and Artillery According to the DPA, in 2026 the agency announced the largest competitive vehicle procurement procedure in the history of public procurement—the purchase of 5,000 pickup trucks for the Defense Forces. It also completed the most expensive procurement in the agency's operational history: 155mm long-range artillery rounds. Due to competition among suppliers, the DPA estimates it saved 16% of the initial amount, or about one billion hryvnias. In June, the agency announced a new competitive tender for extended-range 155mm artillery rounds; according to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the first tender using this approach became a record in terms of long-range ammunition volume, and the saved 16%+ of the expected cost was channeled into tens of thousands of additional rounds. ### Drones: Sharp Increase in Contract Volumes The most noticeable growth, according to the DPA, was recorded in the unmanned systems segment. The volume of contracts for drones (excluding FPVs) surged by 300% compared to the entire year of 2025. Contracting for FPV drones increased by 54%, while their actual delivery grew nearly 3.7 times. ### Leadership and Operating Principles Artem Romanyukov, who previously served as the agency's development director, has been acting director of the DPA since September 1, 2026. He explained that the list of procured items is formed in accordance with the needs defined by the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense, and the agency's task is to meet these needs as efficiently as possible, foster competition, and shorten delivery times for the military. Thus, in 2026, the defense procurement profile shifted toward more complex and expensive items—ranging from tactical missiles and aviation to record batches of long-range artillery and a massive vehicle fleet, with supplier competition cited by the agency as the key tool for saving money and accelerating deliveries. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [АОЗ в 2026 году начала закупать тактические ракеты и самолеты](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/aoz-2026-rotsi-pochala-zakupovuvati-taktichni-1792578246.html) - Primary source: new procurement categories (missiles, aircraft, quads, motorcycles, buggies, female body armor), tender for 5,000 pickups, purchase of 155mm rounds with 16% savings (~1B UAH), growth of drone contracts (excl. FPV) by 300% and FPV by 54% / delivery 3.7x, acting director Artem Romanyukov since Sept 1. All facts in the article match the source. ## FAQ ### What new product categories did the DPA purchase in 2026? In addition to tactical missiles and aircraft, the agency named quad bikes, motorcycles, and buggies, while the clothing sector saw the introduction of female body armor and anti-fragmentation suits. ### Which vehicle tender became a record? According to the DPA, this is the largest competitive vehicle procedure in the history of public procurement—the acquisition of 5,000 pickup trucks for the Defense Forces. ### How much did drone procurements increase? The volume of contracts for drones (excluding FPVs) grew by 300% compared to the entire year of 2025, FPV drone contracts by 54%, and their deliveries by nearly 3.7 times. ### Who is currently leading the DPA on an acting basis? Since September 1, 2026, Artem Romanyukov, who previously served as the agency's development director, has been the acting director of the DPA.