Ukraine and the United States are advancing plans for joint drone production that could place Ukrainian technology inside a U.S.-based factory. The talks come as Kyiv and Washington deepen defence-industrial cooperation around combat-tested unmanned systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the framework would allow a U.S. facility to produce drones using Ukrainian know-how, while six Ukrainian companies have received permission to export about 100 drones each to the United States for Pentagon testing. The arrangement remains in a preliminary phase, and the exact factory location, ownership structure and production timeline have not been finalised.
The emerging deal is tied to broader efforts to speed up access to Ukrainian battlefield drone technology and potentially shape future Pentagon procurement. It would also extend the cooperation beyond testing toward localised production in the United States, with implications for defence supply chains and future unmanned systems programmes.