Ukraine Expands Soviet Armored Vehicle Upgrades With Spanish-made Guardian Turret Modules

Ukraine is advancing its cooperation with European defense firms by integrating Spanish-made Guardian turret modules onto Soviet-style armored vehicles, according to an update from the Ukrainian Defense Industry Joint Stock Company (Ukroboronprom).

The Guardian modules, produced by Spain’s Escribano Mechanical and Engineering (EM&M), are designed to target low-altitude aerial threats and lightly armored vehicles. These remotely operated turret systems are already arriving in Ukraine and are expected to enhance the firepower of older armored personnel carriers.

Practical cooperation between Ukrainian weapons engineers and their European counterparts is underway, focusing on adapting the Guardian system to Soviet-era platforms. Discussions are also ongoing about the potential localization of maintenance and production within Ukraine. “We are grateful to our foreign colleagues for their cooperation and plan to deepen it in order to increase the combat power of armored vehicles. We are doing everything to ensure that our defenders receive reliable and powerful weapons in the necessary quantities,” said Oleh Hulyak, General Director of Ukroboronprom.

In a separate development, on May 2, Ukroboronprom signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense to strengthen the state quality assurance (SQA) system. The SQA will assess how well defense enterprises meet government contract requirements, including inspections of production quality, staff oversight, testing, and procurement processes.

Additionally, Ukroboronprom reported at its annual general meeting on May 1 that it achieved a consolidated net profit of more than UAH 1.3 billion (approximately $31.5 million) in 2024. Part of this profit will be paid as dividends to the state, while the majority will fund weapons production, facility expansion, and the establishment of new production sites. The company highlighted that its production volumes tripled in 2024 compared to 2023, with 96% of output being new or modernized weapons and equipment.