Ukrainian drone makers breaking into US defense market: Inside playbook
Photo: Ukrainian drone Chaklun (facebook.com/chacklun)
In the absence of an official agreement on arms exports to the US, Ukrainian manufacturers are finding other ways to enter the American market, according to an RBC-Ukraine article.
As Ihor Fedirko, executive director of the Ukrainian Arms Manufacturers Council, tells RBC-Ukraine, there is indeed no political framework yet in place for the supply of Ukrainian weapons to the United States.
"So I would be very cautious about describing this as an already open export direction. But at the practical level, cooperation is already moving forward," he says.
According to him, cooperation is developing primarily through direct dialogue between companies: technical consultations, demonstrations of solutions, preparation for testing, discussions on joint production, localization of certain components, and potential joint ventures.
One example is the Ukrainian manufacturer General Chereshnya, which announced a strategic partnership with the American company Wilcox Industries to establish joint production of FPV drones and interceptor drones in the US.
Production is to be based at Wilcox's facilities in New Hampshire, while the Ukrainian side contributes combat experience, engineering expertise, and the technology itself.
The American Drone Dominance program deserves a separate mention. The first phase has already taken place in the US, and many Ukrainian manufacturers participated in it.
According to Fedirko, some Ukrainian companies performed strongly and won. At the same time, there were companies that were unable to even enter the competition due to the complexity of the application process and participation requirements.
"As far as I know, the second stage of Drone Dominance is already underway. The third stage is expected in roughly five or six months, though there is no exact date yet," the director explains.
He emphasizes that this is an important signal for Ukraine: companies are already becoming involved in practical US defense processes, even though the political framework for exports has not yet been finalized.
Drone Deals
On April 28, following a meeting on arms exports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was ready to open up arms exports and proposed a new format of cooperation to its partners, Drone Deals.
According to him, for certain types of weapons, the surplus of Ukrainian production capacity already reaches 50%.
Subsequently, Zelenskyy reported that about 20 countries have already expressed interest in the Drone Deals format.
Four relevant agreements have already been signed, and the first contracts are being prepared for implementation.
Preparatory procedures are underway with other countries to conclude political agreements that will pave the way for business cooperation.
Drone Deals are special intergovernmental agreements that provide for the production and supply of drones, missiles, shells, military equipment, and software, as well as technology exchange and integration with partners’ defense systems.
The cooperation model is based on a framework of intergovernmental agreements on the principle of reciprocity, after which government agencies and manufacturers join the process.
For more details on how Ukraine and the US are preparing a billion-dollar drone deal, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
