The U.S. and Ukraine Make a Drone Deal
Peter Zeihan
4 min
This direct contract allows the United States to take advantage of the war zone in Ukraine to help test an entirely new set of weapon systems. This represents a step in the right direction along a long path of tighter partnership.
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Donald Trump
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Chapters
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0:00
The F-10 Drone Contract
The U.S. grants a contract for American manufacturers to produce Ukrainian drones under license, specifically the F-10 quadcopter.
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0:26
Technical Specifications and Limitations
The new F-10 drone is 10 inches across, has range limitations, and lacks terminal guidance for jamming resistance. The Ohio facility construction begins late but finishes in December 2029, with only 2,000 drones ordered initially.
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2:44
Strategic Significance
This direct contract allows the U.S. to test new weapon systems using advanced Ukrainian skill sets.
Key points
- 0:00
The Department of Defense grants the first contract for U.S. manufacturers to produce Ukrainian drones under license.
- 0:26
The new drone is called the F-10 and is 100% non-Chinese in parts.
- 0:26
The F-10 is a quadcopter measuring 10 inches across with range limitations.
- 0:26
The drone likely carries a warhead of three or four kilos suitable for personnel or trucks.
- 0:26
There is no sign the F-10 has terminal guidance to resist jamming.
- 0:26
The goal is 200,000 drones in active service before the end of 2027.
- 0:26
The Ohio facility construction is not expected to finish until December of 2029.
- 0:26
Only 2,000 drones are ordered initially at a rate of $650 to $700 each.
- 2:44
This contract allows the U.S. to test new weapon systems using Ukrainian skill sets.
- 2:44
The facility will eventually produce a wide variety of defense equipment beyond just drones.
Who and where
People · 2
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Donald Trump 2
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Photo 1
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy 1
President of Ukraine since 2019
Photo 2
1. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Donald Trump)
2. Photo: Press Service of the President of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Volodymyr Zelenskyy)
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