Ukrainian drones attract Pentagon interest: two manufacturers in US program
5 February 09:25
The US Department of Defense has announced a list of 25 suppliers invited to participate in the first phase of the Drone Dominance Program, which involves the purchase of drones for the US Army. Among them are Ukrainian FPV drone manufacturer General Cherevnya and Ukrainian Defense Drones.
This was reported by the US Department of Defense, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
About the program
The Drone Dominance Program is a two-year program to purchase inexpensive UAVs for the US Army.
The Pentagon plans to purchase more than 200,000 strike drones in 2026 and 2027 for $1 billion.
The program will have four stages. The first is testing the drones, after which the US Department of Defense will place its first orders for a total value of $150 million. The drones will be delivered within five months. It is expected that upon completion of the first stage, the US will receive 30,000 drones.
The first stage will begin on February 18 at the Fort Benning military base. During this stage, military UAV operators will test the drones of the contest participants.
Twenty-five companies from around the world were selected for the first phase. According to the Defense Express portal, two Ukrainian manufacturers will participate in it — Ukrainian Defense Drones and General Cherevnya.
“To get into the first stage, it was necessary to submit a detailed technical description of the system, confirm compliance with the requirements of the NDAA and US legislation, disclose the ownership structure and supply chain, prove the ability to mass produce in a short time, and pass a preliminary selection among hundreds of companies from around the world,” said Marko Kushnir, communications director at General Cherevnya.
He added that “the Drone Dominance Program is not a classic tender or a paper procedure, but a multi-level competitive program with strict technical and compliance selection.” After the first stage, only 12 winners will remain out of 25 participants.
General Cherry announced that it will submit for testing “a comprehensive system solution that combines reconnaissance, target detection, and target engagement tasks.
