War

WSJ: American drone makers can’t keep up with Ukrainians and are asking for help

US defense startups are joining forces with Ukrainian drone manufacturers to create better, war-tested unmanned aerial vehicles for the US military. The Wall Street Journal writes about this, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.

As noted, Silicon Valley does not mind using the know-how of Ukrainian manufacturers of combat drones, as “no American company can keep up with Ukraine.”

“American startups have spent billions of dollars in venture capital hoping to develop small unmanned aerial vehicles, which the Pentagon says are needed for future conflicts, but many produce only expensive aircraft that do not fly very well. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone manufacturers have mastered mass production of drones despite limited resources and are looking for new customers and capital,” the publication notes.

Despite its limited resources, Ukraine has gained experience in developing drones that has been tested in real-world combat conditions, and as a result, American companies working with the U.S. Department of Defense have become interested in Ukrainian developments.

There are already examples of effective cooperation

The publication, for example, mentions a partnership agreement concluded between Ukrainian manufacturers and the Southern California startup CX2, which uses its software on Ukrainian drones. This experience of cooperation has already been appreciated by the US Armed Forces.

Another joint venture is Blue Arrow. It was created by the Pittsburgh-based startup KEF Robotics and the Ukrainian company Sensorama Lab. The joint project develops software and sensor systems for drones that allow drones to operate in congested airspace and maintain high efficiency in combat conditions. This project has already received venture capital funding.

The publication also reports that Blue Arrow is already actively testing its technology on the front line in Ukraine, working with elite Ukrainian units.

According to the US Department of Defense, American startups are capable of producing up to 100,000 drones a year, though without guarantees of effectiveness on the battlefield. Instead, Ukraine can boast of producing millions of drones that have proven their effectiveness on the battlefield.

The U.S. Department of Defense recognizes that such U.S.-Ukrainian cooperation can significantly improve the Pentagon’s strategic capabilities in the development of unmanned systems in view of possible future military conflicts.

Ukrainian manufacturers have something to be proud of

At the Defense Tech Innovations Forum 2025, as part of the Anatomy of Technology project, DEVIRO presented, for example, the Bulava unmanned aerial strike system, which demonstrates accuracy at distances up to 50 km, even in difficult radio conditions. This development is the result of constant testing and improvement of technologies in real combat conditions.

And just the day before, a unique carrier drone from the Ukrainian company Autonomous Engineering R&D Ukraine was presented.

This drone carries up to six FPV drones and acts as a repeater for communication between the operator and the FPV. After being dropped from the carrier, the FPVs engage enemy electronic warfare, air defense, headquarters, and manpower at a distance they could not reach on their own.

The carrier drone from Ukrainian company Brave1 member Autonomous Engineering R&D Ukraine is already being used at the front, and it receives positive feedback from the military.

What the Brave1 defense technology cluster is working on

The Brave1 platform has 3,200 registered developments, which are being worked on by 1,400 teams. The developments include various types of drones, electronic warfare systems, communication systems, and ammunition. Natalia Kushnerska, CEO of Brave1, spoke about this at the Happy New Fear Hackathon.

According to her, today more than 800 UAVs, 280 ground robotic systems, 240 electronic warfare systems, 220 drone ammunition, and more than 200 solutions using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies are registered on the Brave1 platform.

According to Brave1’s CEO, the focus is on drones, particularly interceptor drones.

“Today there are more than 280 different robots that we know about. A year ago, there were just over 20. This is also the application of AI in our defense solutions. More than 70 companies are working on such solutions. We can already see the results when our drones are homing in and hitting enemy equipment,” said Brave1 CEO.

In addition, the platform has begun to actively develop communication systems with CRP antennas, an active receiving antenna that protects against radio jamming and signal spoofing.

Attention is also focused on the development of ammunition, and more than 140 munitions have already been codified, which allows us to talk about the opening of a private market for the development and production of ammunition.

According to the head of Brave1, in 2024, more than 150 companies received NATO codification.