The United States is at the early stages of developing its own combat drone industry and currently significantly lags behind Ukraine in production volumes. This was officially stated by Travis Metz, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit.
The official acknowledged that current US capacity constitutes only a small fraction of Ukrainian figures. This year, Ukraine plans to produce between 6 and 7 million small FPV attack drones, equivalent to approximately 500,000 units monthly. For comparison, under the American "Drone Dominance" program, costing $1.1 billion, fewer than 200,000 drones are planned to be ordered by February.
Scaling challenges and component dependency
According to Metz, the main difficulty for Washington is the need to build production from scratch. "It is much harder to go from zero to 200,000 than to increase production volumes after a country already has the corresponding potential," he noted.
Semiconductors and other critical components remain a key challenge for the American industry. The Pentagon has tightened requirements for manufacturers: drones must be created using exclusively American components. The ultimate goal is to form a fully domestic supply chain for small UAVs.
Metz emphasized that none of the drones from the 19 companies participating in the August Gauntlet II tests can contain prohibited parts, including Chinese brushless motors or batteries. However, the official acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of drones purchased in the previous stage of the program did use Chinese motors.
Partnership strategy and localization
Despite the current lag, the Pentagon is convinced of the US ability to catch up and surpass competitors. "I see no reason why we shouldn't become the world champion in this field as well," Metz stated.
To accelerate the process, Washington is betting on technology transfer. All six Ukrainian companies participating in the Gauntlet II tests in Colorado have already signed or are preparing to sign agreements with the US to create joint ventures.
Specifically, F-Drones is cooperating with Ukrainian Defense Drones, which has opened a factory in Ohio. Manufacturer General Cherry has agreed to create a joint venture with the American Wilcox Industries.
Localization of production in the US has become a mandatory condition for Ukrainian partners hoping for future American orders. According to the Pentagon's plan, this will allow combining Ukrainian combat experience with US production capabilities, moving away from simply importing finished products.
Prospects for the Drone Deal
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine aims to conclude a large-scale agreement with the US in the drone sector (Drone Deal). The document, providing for technology exchange and the development of joint production, is already in the final stages of preparation.
Kyiv also plans to build a large drone manufacturing plant on US territory. This decision is dictated by the need for constant equipment updates due to the rapid development of technology on the battlefield.
