Ukrainian FPV Drones to Be Produced in the USA: How F-Drones Joined the Pentagon Program

Ukrainian company F-Drones has supplied the U.S. Army with 2,000 F10 strike FPV drones for testing and military training. This marks the first completed delivery of ready-made Ukrainian drones to the U.S. during the full-scale war, as stated by F-Drones CEO Stanislav Khutor in an interview.

The next step will be the localization of production. F-Drones' American partner, Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corporation (UDD Tech), is preparing a manufacturing site in Ohio, where the drones will be assembled under a Ukrainian license. According to Khutor, if the company receives the necessary permits in a timely manner, the first FPV drones manufactured in the U.S. using Ukrainian technology could roll off the assembly line as early as fall 2026.

The contract for 2,000 drones gives F-Drones the opportunity to establish a foothold in the world's largest defense market. At the same time, further orders will depend on the results of testing, the F10's compliance with Pentagon requirements, and the partners' ability to establish serial production in the U.S.

F-Drones entered the American market through UDD Tech, which represents its products in the U.S. The company participated in a competitive selection process under the Pentagon's "Drone Dominance" program.

More than 200 companies submitted applications to participate, according to Stanislav Khutor. The first stage allowed 25 manufacturers, and 11 made it to the winners' group. The Ukrainian F10 ranked sixth, after which the American side ordered 2,000 drones.

"Drone Dominance" is planned for two years, with a total budget estimated at approximately $1.1 billion. The Pentagon plans to procure more than 200,000 relatively inexpensive strike drones under the program in 2026-2027.

The first stage of testing took place in February at Fort Benning in Georgia. During the selection, American military personnel evaluated accuracy, reliability, communication stability, ease of use, and the companies' readiness for large-scale production.

F-Drones benefited from the combat experience of the F10. This model has been used by Ukrainian military forces for over three years, allowing the company to demonstrate not only laboratory characteristics but also results from use in conditions of active electronic warfare.

The supply of ready-made drones from Ukraine is one of the options for F-Drones to operate in external markets. The second option involves transferring licenses and localizing production in the ordering country.

UDD Tech plans to open a manufacturing site in Holland, Ohio. Investments in the project are estimated at $18.4 million, and the facility is expected to create at least 300 jobs. It is planned to assemble F10 FPV drones using the technology of the Ukrainian developer.

Localization may facilitate access to Pentagon procurements, some of which require production on U.S. territory and the use of verified components. At the same time, the Ukrainian company retains the opportunity to earn from licenses, technologies, and components without building the entire foreign business independently.

F-Drones is not the only Ukrainian company to adopt such a model. Drone manufacturer "General Chereshnya" has reached an agreement with American Wilcox Industries for joint production of drones in the U.S.

The F-Drones contract has become one of the first practical examples of Ukrainian manufacturers of finished weapons entering the American market. In July of this year, the State Export Control Service allowed the shipment of a batch of 2,000 F10 drones to the U.S.

At that moment, it was the first known case where Ukraine officially approved the export of ready-made combat drone systems, rather than just technologies or individual components. Moreover, the company received the permit under the old, more complex procedure—before the new government decisions simplifying controlled exports came into effect.

Opening external markets is essential for manufacturers primarily to attract additional funding. Ukrainian enterprises already have significant production capabilities, but the state defense budget is insufficient to fully utilize them.

With adequate funding, Ukrainian companies are capable of producing up to 7 million drones per year, of which approximately 4.5 million could be FPV drones, according to Igor Fedirko, executive director of the Ukrainian Arms Manufacturers Council.

Export allows for increased serial production, investment in production lines, and reduced production costs. At the same time, it should be limited by the availability of excess capacity so that external contracts do not compete with the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

In the first year after the full opening of the market, according to Fedirko's forecast, Ukrainian arms exports could reach 1.5 billion euros, and over the next five years could grow to 5 billion euros.

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