The Pentagon has acknowledged Ukraine’s lead: this year, the Ukrainian industry could produce up to 7 million FPV drones
28 July 12:09
Ukraine continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of combat drones. The Pentagon has officially acknowledged that the U.S. defense industry currently lags significantly behind Ukraine in terms of FPV drone production volumes. Travis Metz, deputy director and chief operating officer of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, made this statement in an interview with Reuters, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
According to estimates by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Ukrainian industry will be capable of producing up to 7 million drones by 2026, while the U.S. Drone Dominance program calls for the procurement of fewer than 200,000 drones by early 2027.
The U.S. acknowledges it lags behind Ukraine
According to Travis Metz, the U.S.’s main task right now is not to immediately reach Ukraine’s production scale, but to build a fully-fledged domestic drone industry.
“The hardest part is going from zero to the first 200,000 drones. Once the production base is established, scaling up will become much easier,” the Pentagon representative noted.
He emphasized that Ukraine already has production capacity measured in millions of FPV drones per year, while the U.S. is still in the process of building the necessary ecosystem.
Why the U.S. Cannot Rapidly Increase Production
One of the main reasons for the lag is the new requirements from the U.S. Department of Defense.
On July 23, the Pentagon released an updated policy on small unmanned aerial systems, which calls for a gradual transition to the use of U.S.-manufactured components.
According to Metz, this complicates rapid production ramp-up, as American manufacturers are not yet able to fully meet the industry’s needs.
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Chinese components remain a problem
The U.S. is particularly hard hit by a shortage of certain high-tech components.
These include, first and foremost:
- brushless electric motors;
- rechargeable batteries;
- semiconductors;
- other electronic components.
Metz acknowledged that a significant portion of the drones procured during earlier phases of the U.S. program likely used Chinese-made motors.
In contrast, the Pentagon’s new rules call for a complete ban on prohibited Chinese components.
Ukrainian Companies Are Helping the U.S.
Despite the competition, Ukraine is becoming increasingly integrated into the U.S. defense market.
In August, the Gauntlet II trials will take place at Fort Carson military base in Colorado, with 19 companies participating.
Six Ukrainian drone manufacturers have also been invited to participate in the program.
Specifically:
- F-Drones is collaborating with Ukrainian Defense Drones, which has opened a production facility in Ohio;
- General Cherry is establishing a joint venture with the American company Wilcox Industries.
According to Metz, localizing production in the U.S. will be a prerequisite for securing future contracts with the Pentagon.
Ukrainian experience becomes a strategic asset
The U.S. side recognizes that the combat experience Ukrainian manufacturers gained during a full-scale war is of exceptional value.
That is why the Pentagon seeks to combine Ukrainian technologies with its own manufacturing capabilities.
Previously, Ukraine and the U.S. had already signed a bilateral statement of intent regarding the development of cooperation in the field of unmanned technologies. The document opens the door for the export of Ukrainian combat drones to the U.S. for military testing and evaluation.
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