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A KEF Robotics drone flies over Pittsburgh Northeast Airport on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.
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Pittsburgh startup Blue Arrow to aid in Ukraine’s drone war

Evan Robinson-Johnson/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh startup Blue Arrow to aid in Ukraine’s drone war

KEF Robotics spinoff comes as Trump pressures Putin to end the war

Blue Arrow, a new Pittsburgh startup formed by Larimer-based KEF Robotics and Ukraine’s Sensorama, will develop defense drone technologies as the country’s war with Russia enters its third year.

The partnership began two years ago, with KEF providing software for the drones as Ukraine came to rely on the novel technology to halt Russia’s invasion.

Company officials traveled to the embattled European nation in early 2024, working with developers there to build piloting systems that weren’t reliant on GPS. Founded in 2018, KEF has developed similar systems for the U.S. military.

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“Blue Arrow is positioned to attack the business and contracting realities that have stifled our ability to fully support Ukraine,” said KEF Chief Executive Fraser Kitchell. “In doing so, we expect to create both an immediate and sustained impact that supports Ukraine, NATO and other allied countries.”

A KEF Robotics drone flies over Pittsburgh Northeast Airport on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. The startup is developing navigation systems for military use in the U.S. and Ukraine. Last week, more than 200 representatives from several Air Force innovation funds visited the Steel City to describe their vision for defense projects emanating from a city that has long contributed to the war effort.
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The joint venture comes as President Donald Trump pressures Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Larger defense contractors including Anduril Industries and Palantir have also provided drones and other AI weapon systems to Ukraine.

Sensorama co-founder Sergii Tereshchenko will lead Blue Arrow, which will be headquartered in Pittsburgh with operating offices in Kyiv, the companies said.

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His virtual reality company previously helped to make KEF’s software accessible to non-engineers.

“The population of Russia is four times bigger than Ukraine, so I'm sure that we need to fight with drones,” Mr. Tereshchenko told the Post-Gazette last year.

Some of Blue Arrow’s first battle-ready drones equipped for reconnaissance will be deployed to the front lines next month, Mr. Kitchell said. Already this year, Ukrainian drones have been used to strike targets in Russia, which has retaliated with drone strikes of its own.

First Published: January 29, 2025, 5:26 p.m.
Updated: January 29, 2025, 6:10 p.m.

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A KEF Robotics drone flies over Pittsburgh Northeast Airport on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.  (Evan Robinson-Johnson/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Jacob Brown, field testing director for KEF Robotics, preps a vertical take-off and landing drone to fly over Pittsburgh Northeast Airport on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. The Larimer startup is developing systems to help Ukraine fend off Russia.  (Evan Robinson-Johnson/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
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