Ukraine’s Battle-Tested Drones Could Soon Be Made in America

Ukraine is ready to sign what could become a historic drone defense agreement with the US, creating a framework for Ukrainian military technology to be tested and manufactured in America.CBS News reported on Tuesday, Sept. 22, citing three people familiar with the negotiations, that President Volodymyr Zelensky was prepared to sign the agreement during the UN General Assembly in New York.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.However, the sources cautioned that the deal could instead be finalized later, once Washington is ready.The White House and Pentagon have not publicly confirmed a signing date.What the historic agreement could doOver the past year, the US Department of Defense and its Ukrainian counterpart have reportedly developed a framework that would expand the testing and production of Ukrainian defense technology in the US.The agreement would go beyond individual contracts with Ukrainian manufacturers. It is expected to establish a broader system allowing leading Ukrainian defense companies to cooperate directly with American firms and the US military.The two countries had already drafted an initial memorandum in May. Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna, said at the time that the document was being reviewed by institutions on both sides.The proposed arrangement could allow Ukraine to export selected military technologies and establish joint ventures with American companies. Kyiv has also insisted that Ukrainian intellectual property must be protected and that exports must not deprive its own military of urgently needed equipment. Other Topics of Interest Germany Probes Drone and Suspected Explosives Near Air Base Investigators are testing suspicious material found beside a crashed drone near Germany’s A400M base and checking parallels with the Leipzig airport attack. Ukraine’s advantage lies not only in producing inexpensive drones but also in continuously adapting them against Russian electronic warfare, air defenses, and changing battlefield tactics.“It’s not just about having the tech. It’s about how the tech is used,” Deborah Fairlamb, founding partner at Green Flag Ventures, told CBS News.Ukrainian drones helped defend US basesThe negotiations have gained urgency after Ukrainian equipment and specialists reportedly helped protect US military installations in the Middle East from Iranian Shahed-type attack drones.When Iran retaliated against US and Israeli strikes in March, then-US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll reportedly contacted former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, whose company Perennial Autonomy works with Ukrainian defense technology.Driscoll sought 13,000 Merops interceptor drones and 10,000 Bumblebee reconnaissance and strike drones for deployment in the region, according to CBS News.The aircraft were shipped within days, but making them operational took several weeks due to essential Ukrainian components arriving later. The Merops interceptors reportedly use artificial intelligence beacons produced by Ukraine’s Sine Engineering, as well as Ukrainian-made warheads.Ukrainian specialists were also needed to integrate the drones with American air-defense radars and teach personnel how to operate them as part of a coordinated interception system.Kyiv additionally sent interceptor drones and Ukrainian pilots to the region as Iran targeted American military facilities with one-way attack drones.US seeks Ukraine’s battlefield experienceThe agreement comes as the Pentagon attempts to rapidly expand the US military’s comparatively small drone fleet.Under its Drone Dominance Program, the Pentagon has invited American and selected foreign manufacturers, primarily Ukrainian companies, to compete for large procurement orders. Washington reportedly hopes to acquire more than 200,000 drones by 2027.Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall won the program’s first competition, while Perennial Autonomy and Neros Technologies succeeded in the second.Zelensky has said Ukraine aims to manufacture as many as 10 million drones this year. By comparison, the US Army acquired approximately 50,000 drones in 2025, according to Driscoll.American interest in Ukrainian technology is already producing individual contracts. Previously the US Army awarded a $10.64 million contract for Ukrainian-developed Raybird reconnaissance drones produced by Skyeton.The proposed agreement would transform such individual purchases into a wider and more permanent defense partnership.If finalized, it would give American manufacturers access to technology tested during years of high-intensity warfare. Ukraine, in turn, could receive US financing, production capacity, and access to a significantly larger defense market.The deal has not yet been signed, and its final provisions have not been made public. But its reported scope suggests that Washington increasingly views Ukraine not only as a recipient of military assistance, but as a source of technology and combat expertise capable of strengthening US defenses. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.