The U.S. is copying a Ukrainian maritime drone — Defense Express
The American defense company Red Cat and its naval division, Blue Ops, have begun mass production of the Variant 7 (V7) drones. According to analysts at Defense Express, these drones are essentially copies of the Ukrainian-designed Magura V7, right down to the name. Despite this, the manufacturer is positioning the technology as its own design.
As division president Barry Hinckley noted, this model was designed “for mass production and a configuration that meets the challenges facing our customers.”
The company’s press releases also consistently emphasize that the drone was “designed, built, and assembled in the United States.”
"From Defense Express, we would like to remind you that the V7 marine drone can rightly be called a copy of the Ukrainian Magura V7, at least its prototypes/early models—since when Red Cat entered the marine drone market in May 2025, it explicitly spoke of cooperation with a manufacturer whose designs are tested daily in real combat conditions. And the published technical specifications of the marine drone left no doubt that it was indeed the Magura V7," the publication states.
According to experts, the final production version may still differ from the Ukrainian original in terms of components and internal configuration. For example, Red Cat reports that their V7 maritime drone has been equipped with an American system complex for autonomous control, monitoring, communications, and mission support, as well as components that meet U.S. national security standards.
At the same time, it is noted that the Americans are fully replicating the Ukrainian approach to modularity. Specifically, to counter long-range strike drones, the American V7 will be equipped with the Bullfrog smart turret. Additionally, autonomous swarm control systems from the acquired company Apium Swarm Robotics will be integrated into the drones.
By partnering with HADDY and utilizing 3D printing, the manufacturer expects to double its production rate, analysts note.
This was reported by Defense Express.
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