- Shrike 10 Fiber outperformed its competitors and scored more than ten points higher
- F10 drone wins Pentagon contract thanks to effective elimination of Chinese components
- Fiber optic guidance makes Shrike drone resistant to electronic warfare
The Pentagon recently selected two Ukrainian drone manufacturers as finalists for its $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program.
For years, Chinese manufacturer DJI has dominated the global market for small drones, but the US military is now actively seeking alternatives that do not rely on components sourced from China.
The first phase of the competition selected 12 companies to negotiate contracts, and two Ukrainian companies, SkyFall and Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corporation, were included in that list.
Article continues below.
Ukrainian drones skip Chinese components
The first place finisher was the Shrike 10 Fiber, a fiber optic FPV drone developed by the Ukrainian company SkyFall in partnership with the British company Skycutter.
The system scored 99.3 points out of 100, finishing more than ten points ahead of its closest competitor, the American company Neros.
The drone uses fiber optic guidance instead of traditional radio frequencies, making it invulnerable to electronic warfare countermeasures.
The fiber optic reel extends 20 km, ensuring stable video transmission throughout the flight.
It carries up to 1 kilogram of warhead mass. SkyFall declined to comment on its participation and asked to wait for official announcements.
The sixth-place finisher, Ukrainian Defense Drone Technology Corporation, presented a different value proposition to U.S. procurement officials.
The company's F10 attack quadcopter scored 72.9 points and earned a spot among the 11 winners of the first phase that will split an initial procurement budget of $150 million.
The quadcopter was selected largely because the company has systematically removed Chinese components from its supply chain.
After starting drone production in 2023 with parts of Chinese origin, the company localized the production of antennas and carbon structures in 2024.
By 2025, it had expanded to manufacture flight controllers, speed controllers and video transmission systems in-house or through European suppliers.
The Drone Dominance program is structured as a four-stage competition: The first phase will result in orders for around 30,000 systems at $5,000 per drone.
The first classified will receive up to 2,500 orders, while the 11th and those who finish in 12th place will receive 1,500 and 1,400 orders, respectively.
Later phases will increase order quantities while reducing unit cost targets and the number of participating companies.
The second phase will purchase 60,000 drones at $5,000 each from 10 companies, while the third phase will purchase 100,000 drones at $3,000 each from seven companies.
In the final phase, 150,000 drones will be ordered at $2,300 each from just five companies.
Two other entities connected to Ukraine, Drone Fight Group and General Chereshnya, also participated but failed to secure a place among the 12 winners.
Via Defender Media / Defender Media
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