(WASHINGTON, DC) – Ukrainian defence technology firm UForce has signed an agreement with American shipbuilder ReconCraft to manufacture Magura maritime drones in the United States. The deal was formalised at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington and marks the first time the Ukrainian government has officially approved production of the Magura system on US soil.
Manufacturing will take place at ReconCraft facilities in Oregon and South Carolina. The American company aims to produce hundreds of Magura maritime drones annually at the outset, with plans to scale output to thousands of units per year as production lines mature. No financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.
UForce has joined the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance programme alongside ReconCraft. Under the arrangement, the Ukrainian firm will provide the United States with access to its maritime, aerial and ground unmanned systems, as well as its autonomous control software and command and control tools. Shawn Plank, head of UForce USA, said the agreement represented the first instance of Kyiv formally authorising Magura production in America.
The Magura V7 unmanned surface vessel measures 7.6 metres in length and carries a payload of more than 770 kilogrammes. It has an operational range of up to 560 kilometres. Beyond strike missions, the platform can launch aerial drones, conduct mine clearance operations and tow sonar arrays for submarine detection. The multi role capability has attracted interest beyond Ukraine’s immediate defence needs, with analysts pointing to potential applications in the Indo Pacific region.
American defence company Red Cat previously announced serial production of its own unmanned boat derived from the Magura V7 concept. The UForce and ReconCraft deal, however, is the first official production project involving the Ukrainian developer directly. The agreement signals a deepening of defence industrial ties between Kyiv and Washington at a time when unmanned maritime systems are reshaping naval warfare.
The move also places Ukrainian drone technology inside the US defence industrial base, giving the Pentagon a production pipeline for a combat proven system. Magura drones have been used extensively by Ukrainian forces in the Black Sea, where they have targeted Russian naval vessels and infrastructure. The operational record has generated international demand for the platform and accelerated efforts to establish manufacturing capacity outside Ukraine.
ReconCraft brings experience in aluminium boat building and has supplied vessels to US special operations forces. The combination of its manufacturing capability with UForce’s design and software expertise creates a partnership aimed at delivering drones to both the US military and allied navies seeking affordable unmanned surface capabilities.