Ukraine and US Sign Drone Export Cooperation Agreement as Pentagon Seeks Access to Battle-Tested Autonomous Systems

Ukraine and the United States signed a bilateral statement of intent on drone cooperation, according to RFE/RL, which cited two sources familiar with the agreement saying "the deal has been sealed" and had been "signed by both sides" 1. The framework is expected to create a formal pathway for Ukrainian air, land, and maritime drones to be exported to the US for military testing and evaluation, potentially informing Pentagon procurement requirements, though it is not itself a production contract 123. Militarnyi, also citing RFE/RL reporting, described the document as a bilateral letter of intent establishing a legal framework for future joint programs rather than automatic procurement or technology transfer 3. Separately, the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington announced on July 21 a memorandum of understanding between Ukrainian firm UFORCE and Oregon-based RECONCRAFT to bring UFORCE's autonomous aerial, maritime, and ground systems, including the 24-foot MAGURA maritime drone line, to US manufacturing, with plans to build hundreds and eventually thousands of MAGURA units annually at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina 14.