US and Ukraine sign a first drone framework, weeks after the shipments started
A bilateral statement of intent opens a formal export channel for Ukrainian land, air and maritime drones into Pentagon testing, though neither government has confirmed it and it commits nobody to buy anything.
A bilateral statement of intent opens a formal export channel for Ukrainian land, air and maritime drones into Pentagon testing, though neither government has confirmed it and it commits nobody to buy anything.
Ukraine and the United States have signed a bilateral statement of intent creating the first formal framework for military drone cooperation between the two governments, RFE/RL reported. "The deal has been sealed," one official told correspondent Alex Raufoglu. A second source said the document had been "signed by both sides." Both spoke anonymously, and the text has not been published.
The framework lets the Pentagon request specific Ukrainian land, air and maritime platforms for testing and evaluation rather than operational use, with results feeding future procurement requirements. It is not a production contract. RFE/RL treats joint manufacturing on US soil as a possible later step, not an agreed one.
That one exclusive carries the story. Every other English-language account so far traces back to it. Reuters, citing a single source, said six Ukrainian companies have permission to export roughly 100 drones each into the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program, per The Jerusalem Post. Neither Kyiv nor Washington commented.
Drone Dominance is a $1.1 billion effort to buy commercially built attack drones at scale. Last month 49 companies competed over 12 days at Camp Grayling, Michigan, and 19 advanced to a round opening in August, according to Defense News.
Ukrainian firms are already inside it. SkyFall's Shrike 10 Fiber, built with Britain's Skycutter, took the first Gauntlet round at 99.3 points, Ukrainska Pravda wrote, citing Defender Media. F-Drones moved 2,000 F10 strike drones across the border on July 1, Ukraine's first licensed export of finished combat drones, according to Oboronka. On July 21 UFORCE signed with Oregon boatbuilder ReconCraft to build the 24-foot Magura sea drone in the United States for under $500,000 a hull, The Maritime Executive reported. US Central Command launched three explosive-laden Corsair surface drones at a maintenance facility inside Iran's Bandar Abbas naval base on July 12, the first US combat use of autonomous vessels against Iran, per The Washington Times.
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Subscribe Free →Zelensky said on July 9 that drones were already going to the US for testing while the wider Drone Deal stayed unsigned, European Pravda noted. Ukraine's export-control service cleared the F-Drones consignment case by case on July 1, days before the government simplified its wartime export rules, Oboronka reported. The six firms Reuters describes would move roughly 600 airframes under a standing pathway instead, with the evaluation results feeding Pentagon requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did the US and Ukraine sign?
A bilateral statement of intent, according to RFE/RL, which cited two sources familiar with the document. It establishes a framework for future drone cooperation and is described as the first agreement of its kind between the two countries. RFE/RL is explicit that it is not itself a production contract.
Has either government confirmed it?
No. Both RFE/RL sources spoke on condition of anonymity, and Reuters reported there was no immediate official comment from Kyiv or Washington. The document itself has not been published.
What does the framework actually allow?
It creates a formal pathway for Ukrainian land, air and maritime drones to be exported to the United States for military testing and evaluation, RFE/RL reported. RBC-Ukraine, relaying the same report, notes the US military would be able to request specific platforms for evaluation only, not for operational missions, with results potentially shaping future Pentagon procurement requirements.
How many drones are involved?
Six Ukrainian companies have received permission to export about 100 drones each, a single source told Reuters, as relayed by The Jerusalem Post. That figure comes from the Reuters report rather than from the statement of intent, and has not been confirmed officially.
What is the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program?
A $1.1 billion Defense Department effort to source commercially developed attack drones at scale. Defense News reported that 49 companies competed at Camp Grayling, Michigan, over 12 days last month, with 19 advancing to a further round of testing due to begin in August.
Were Ukrainian drones already going to the United States?
Yes. Ukrainska Pravda, citing Defender Media, reported that SkyFall's Shrike 10 Fiber won the first Gauntlet round with 99.3 points. Oboronka reported that F-Drones shipped 2,000 F10 strike drones to the US on July 1 in Ukraine's first licensed export of finished combat drones. European Pravda noted that President Zelensky said on July 9 that drones were already being transferred for testing while the wider Drone Deal remained unsigned.
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Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.