The U.S. and Ukraine Are Close to a Drone Deal — CBS News
The governments of the United States and Ukraine have drafted a memorandum that lays the groundwork for a new strategic defense agreement.
This was reported by the American television network CBS News.
The document, agreed upon by the U.S. State Department and Ukrainian Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna, paves the way for the export of Ukrainian military technologies and the creation of joint ventures.
The main focus of future cooperation is on the development and mass production of various types of drones.
The agreement will allow Ukrainian developers not only to share combat experience but also to launch joint production lines directly with American defense giants.
Ukraine is already demonstrating significant success in this field, capitalizing on innovations developed over years of grueling war with Russia.
Our interceptor drones and pilots are already helping allies in the Middle East effectively repel attacks by Iranian “Shaheds.”
According to forecasts by the National Security and Defense Council, the capacity of Ukraine’s defense industry will reach $55 billion by 2026.
To fully realize this potential, Kyiv needs significant foreign investment, as its own procurement is currently limited to $15 billion.
Ukrainian manufacturers are significantly ahead of the U.S. in terms of the production rate of low-cost FPV drones.
One domestic factory alone plans to produce over 3 million such drones in 2026, while the American industry produced only 300,000 units in 2025.
The Lviv-based company Sine Engineering is also demonstrating a technological breakthrough, having recently received multimillion-dollar investments from a specialized American fund.
Their development allows drones to fly without a GPS signal, making them invulnerable to enemy electronic warfare systems.
The Pentagon has already invited leading Ukrainian companies to join the “Drone Dominance” initiative, which has a budget of $1.1 billion.
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