UDD, which represents Ukraine’s F-Drones in the US, to open $18.4m factory in Ohio

Ukrainian Defense Drones (UDD), the US company representing Ukrainian drone manufacturer F-Drones, will establish its first large-scale assembly and manufacturing centre in the United States. The project involves an $18.4 million investment and is expected to create at least 300 new jobs, according to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

The new facility will produce FPV drones and other unmanned systems for the US and its allies. It will also serve as a hub for training, testing, and dual-use tech development. The project covers workforce training and supply chain localisation. Additionally, it includes hardware and software integration, customer demonstrations, and UDD’s further expansion in the US.

The announcement followed UDD’s first contract with the Pentagon. The company also ranked sixth in the first phase of the US Department of Defense’s Drone Dominance Program, securing a government contract to develop prototypes and deliver 2,000 FPV drones.

According to F-Drones CEO Stanislav Khutor, the company achieved a milestone. It became the first Ukrainian drone manufacturer authorised by its government to export drones for the US military. The next phase will involve transferring production technology to manufacture these drones directly in the United States.

The US Department of Defense launched the Drone Dominance Program to accelerate the development of the country’s defence industrial base and rapidly supply the military with low-cost drones at scale. The programme has a budget of $1 billion and aims to procure more than 200,000 drones by 2027.

F-Drones is among the most widely used FPV drone manufacturers in Ukraine. In addition to the F10 strike quadcopter, the company’s best-known products include the seven-inch F7 drone and LITAVR interceptor drones. The F10 is available on the government-run Brave1 marketplace for both direct purchase and through the e-points system under the Army of Drones. Bonus programme. The drone costs approximately UAH 27,000.