U.S. Tests Ukrainian Drone Innovations Under Drone Deal

American partners have reviewed and tested several Ukrainian drones as part of work on an agreement known as the Drone Deal.

Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated this during a briefing, according to Hromadske.

He added that cooperation with the United States in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles is ongoing, and the two sides have agreed to continue advancing their work in this area.

“I cannot comment publicly on the specific terms of the agreement for obvious reasons, but I can confirm that the dialogue on the Drone Deal is very active and constructive,” Tykhyi added.

Drone Deal

Work on the Drone Deal agreement with the United States was announced last autumn by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The agreement concerns the potential purchase of Ukrainian drones over a five-year period. It also includes the possibility of jointly producing several Ukrainian models.

In October, a Ukrainian delegation held technical talks in the United States regarding this cooperation.

The Ukrainian side presented its developments, including proposals for specific models, their effectiveness, and conditions of use.

The team from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine met with representatives from all branches of the United States Armed Forces to discuss the U.S. military’s needs for Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

Exports

In February, it was announced that Ukrainian companies had received their first permits for the controlled export of weapons.

Sales are permitted only in segments where domestic production capacity significantly exceeds procurement volumes for national needs.

At present, Ukraine’s defense industry’s total production capacity is estimated at over $55 billion. The greatest potential lies in unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare systems, and reconnaissance technologies.