The agreement was reached as the Pentagon rapidly expands its arsenal of autonomous weapons and seeks cheaper alternatives to expensive missiles and other armaments.
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The US military has already used naval drones this month in an attack on an Iranian naval base in the Strait of Hormuz.
In addition, Washington and Kyiv are increasingly cooperating in the field of defense.
US President Donald Trump recently stated that he is considering allowing Ukraine to produce interceptor missiles for American “Patriot” air defense systems.
Ukrainian technologies move to the US
A memorandum of understanding was signed last week at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington by “ReconCraft” and “Uforce”.
According to company representatives, hundreds or even thousands of “Magura” drones are planned to be produced annually in American factories in Oregon and South Carolina. The financial details of the deal are not disclosed.
During the war, which has lasted more than three years, Ukraine has become one of the leaders in drone technology.
It has developed air, land, and sea drones that have destroyed significantly more expensive Russian targets – warships, aircraft, and military infrastructure.
“Magura” type naval drones have had a particularly significant impact.
According to “The Wall Street Journal”, they forced Russian warships to withdraw from a large part of the Black Sea, and were also used to attack oil tankers, bridges, and even transport missiles that shot down aircraft and struck land targets.
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Can carry almost 800 kilograms of cargo
According to the manufacturer, “Magura” is an unmanned high-speed boat, approximately 7.6 meters long, capable of carrying a payload of more than 770 kilograms and covering more than 560 kilometers.
The price of one such drone, depending on the configuration, can be less than 500 thousand US dollars (about 437 thousand EUR)
In addition to strike missions, these drones can launch aerial drones, conduct mine searches, or tow sonar systems to detect submarines.
Pentagon rushes to catch up
The United States has rapidly increased its investments in autonomous systems in recent years. The Pentagon plans to allocate tens of billions of dollars to them in the coming years.
“The Wall Street Journal” emphasized that battle-tested technologies from Ukraine are already influencing US arms purchases.
Last year, the Pentagon provided major US defense companies with a list of twelve drone systems developed in Ukraine, suggesting they consider their production or cooperation with Ukrainian developers.
Meanwhile, projects by Ukrainian defense companies are already operating in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark, and Europe is increasingly seeking to adopt Ukraine’s war-tested technologies.
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