Key Takeaways
- • PDKINEMATICS, a Lithuanian defence technology startup led by former private equity fund manager Rapolas Markevičius, develops the Gannet precision-guidance system for smaller UAVs, which the company says enables precision-guided munitions from altitudes of up to 700 metres, up to six times higher than unguided munitions without sacrificing accuracy.
- • Gannet is already deployed in Ukraine and several other European countries, adding precision-strike capability to existing UAV fleets and integrating across UAV types in under four weeks, according to the company.
- • The company, which employs around 20 people, was founded in late 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is adapting established precision-guidance technology to smaller, cheaper, more energy-efficient hardware.
- • Markevičius argues that European and NATO militaries must prepare to defend against highly autonomous military operations, noting that autonomous warfare is now primarily a question of whether and how to deploy the technology rather than a technical challenge.
- • PDKINEMATICS' immediate priority is supporting Ukraine and expanding adoption across Europe, with global expansion planned gradually and without specifics at this stage.
Summary
Rapolas Markevičius, founder and CEO of Lithuanian startup PDKINEMATICS, previously worked as a private equity fund manager at 1 Asset Management. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he trained as a reserve officer at the Lithuanian Military Academy before founding the defence technology company, which emerged from work that began in late 2022. Co-founders with engineering backgrounds in the space industry joined him, according to the article, and the company now has a team of around 20 people. Markevičius, as reported by Tech.eu, said finding specialised talent is challenging, and that the company's adaptation of established technologies to modern hardware allows it to recruit engineers from newer technology sectors.
The company's flagship product, Gannet, is a low-SWaP-C (size, weight, power, cost) precision-guidance system for unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the company, it enables UAVs to deploy precision-guided munitions from altitudes of up to 700 metres, up to six times higher than unguided munitions, without sacrificing accuracy. Markevičius argues that existing precision-guidance technologies were developed for large platforms such as aircraft and helicopters, which cannot operate effectively near the contact line in Ukraine. First-person view drones have filled part of the gap, though their effectiveness is constrained by operator skill and scaling difficulties, while larger UAVs carrying unguided munitions must fly at lower altitudes, increasing their exposure to ground-based threats. The article cites reporting that approximately 300,000 drone-deployed munitions are dropped monthly in Ukraine, almost all unguided.
Gannet is reported to be jam-resistant, platform-agnostic and capable of operating in challenging weather. Markevičius said the system's ability to operate in GPS-denied environments is central to its design, though he declined to disclose detailed technical information. PDKINEMATICS is part of a group of companies including Ukrainian startup M-FLY, Deftak and Swiss-US company Auterion, all adapting precision guidance for smaller drones.
Markevičius credits Lithuania's close relationship with Ukraine with giving the company direct access to battlefield users, enabling iteration cycles often measured in weeks rather than months. On the commercial side, he told Tech.eu that Ukraine's defence technology sector is becoming more standardised, with procurement increasingly aligned to European standards, which raises the bar for startups moving from pilots to contracts. On autonomy, he argued that European and NATO countries must prepare for highly autonomous military operations, while noting regulatory and accountability questions remain central. The company's immediate focus remains Ukraine and Europe, with broader ambitions expanding gradually.
The company's flagship product, Gannet, is a low-SWaP-C (size, weight, power, cost) precision-guidance system for unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the company, it enables UAVs to deploy precision-guided munitions from altitudes of up to 700 metres, up to six times higher than unguided munitions, without sacrificing accuracy. Markevičius argues that existing precision-guidance technologies were developed for large platforms such as aircraft and helicopters, which cannot operate effectively near the contact line in Ukraine. First-person view drones have filled part of the gap, though their effectiveness is constrained by operator skill and scaling difficulties, while larger UAVs carrying unguided munitions must fly at lower altitudes, increasing their exposure to ground-based threats. The article cites reporting that approximately 300,000 drone-deployed munitions are dropped monthly in Ukraine, almost all unguided.
Gannet is reported to be jam-resistant, platform-agnostic and capable of operating in challenging weather. Markevičius said the system's ability to operate in GPS-denied environments is central to its design, though he declined to disclose detailed technical information. PDKINEMATICS is part of a group of companies including Ukrainian startup M-FLY, Deftak and Swiss-US company Auterion, all adapting precision guidance for smaller drones.
Markevičius credits Lithuania's close relationship with Ukraine with giving the company direct access to battlefield users, enabling iteration cycles often measured in weeks rather than months. On the commercial side, he told Tech.eu that Ukraine's defence technology sector is becoming more standardised, with procurement increasingly aligned to European standards, which raises the bar for startups moving from pilots to contracts. On autonomy, he argued that European and NATO countries must prepare for highly autonomous military operations, while noting regulatory and accountability questions remain central. The company's immediate focus remains Ukraine and Europe, with broader ambitions expanding gradually.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.