“Blackwater” founder Eric Prince and Ukrainian “Swarmer” launch air defense company

“Vectus Air Defense Systems” — a new air defense company led by Eric Prince, founder of the American private military company “Blackwater” — has officially launched in the United States. Ukrainian defense-tech company “Swarmer” has become a partner and investor in “Vectus”.

Axios writes about this.

Vectus plans to use a “defense-as-a-service” model, which is not typical for the defense industry, the media explains. That is, it will supply air and drone defense systems, including electronic jamming, guns, and interceptors, which are already used on the battlefield in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“Swarmer” website states that they will provide services to governments and critical infrastructure operators. Vectus also plans to fully take over the deployment and maintenance of air defense systems. They will combine technologies from the United States, Ukraine, Israel, and other allied countries.

“It is clear that the nature of the threat is changing rapidly, and the demand for solutions from the private sector is very high. We need to radically reduce the cost of defense and enable customers to independently provide protection for critical facilities,” said Prince.

The media outlet adds that “Swarmer” owns 20% of “Vectus”. It is expected that they will collaborate with “Blackwater” on counter-drone technologies, including detection systems and drone swarm technologies.

• In September 2025, media reported that Prince was trying to “sell himself” in the Ukrainian drone sector and was seeking meetings with leading players in the industry. Prince had long viewed Ukraine as a potential source of wealth.
• In 2020, he proposed to President Volodymyr Zelensky a multibillion-dollar plan aimed at settling the war in the east with the help of his private army of the ATO veterans. The deal never materialized.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.