Pentagon seeks Ukraine's drone expertise to boost defense
As reported by the American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal," the Pentagon is seeking support from Ukraine regarding drone technology. The U.S. military hopes to benefit from the expertise of an army experienced in using and countering unmanned aerial vehicles.
Ukraine is currently a global leader in drone production. Since the onset of the Russian invasion, it has made significant strides in this area and has greatly increased its production scale. In February, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha acknowledged that this year, Ukrainian companies are expected to produce over 4 million drones of various types.
USA impressed by Ukrainian drones
"No U.S. company is keeping up with Ukraine," said Nathan Mintz, co-founder of the California startup CX2, which has already established partnerships with Ukrainian drone manufacturers, as quoted by "The Wall Street Journal."
Although significant funds have been invested in the development of these machines in the U.S., American startups encounter considerable challenges in producing low-cost yet effective unmanned aerial vehicles for the military. These are the types of machines Ukrainian companies specialize in producing.
According to the publication, the Pentagon shows "strong interest in integrating Ukrainian drone technology into U.S. forces." The U.S. Army wants cooperation between American and Ukrainian companies to strengthen quickly.
The initial effects of this collaboration are already visible, as the U.S. Department of Defense recently awarded contracts to two American-Ukrainian partnerships. These contracts involve testing assault drones with the potential to eventually be used by the American army. This most likely includes Skyfall drones with a range of about 25-37 miles, which have reportedly completed around 1.5 million combat missions during the war in Ukraine. The Americans would add their own software and sensors to them, while retaining the main construction framework and Ukrainian warheads (weighing about 11 pounds).
Ukrainian long-range drones
While Ukrainians mostly rely on the less costly FPV (first-person view) drones, the attention of major powers is drawn to more advanced designs, such as Skyfall, as well as long-range drones capable of striking targets hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
Ukrainians have also developed, among others, the Rubaka and Beaver drones with ranges of about 311 miles and 621 miles respectively, and a mysterious drone with a range of over 1,242 miles, capable of carrying bombs weighing up to 551 pounds. Its existence was confirmed by Vadym Sucharewski, Commander of the Unmanned Systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The U.S. is not the first country interested in Ukrainian drones. A similar request for assistance had previously been made to Kyiv by a delegation from South Korea.
