Ukraine ready to sign U.S. drone pact after year of defense tech work

Ukraine is poised to finalize a significant drone defense pact with the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly ready to sign the agreement, known as the Drone Deal, as early as this week during the UN General Assembly in New York. While the exact signing date may be pushed back until the U.S. side is prepared, the Pentagon and Ukraine's Defense Ministry have been working for a year to establish a system for enhancing testing and production of Ukrainian defense technology in the United States.

The urgency behind this agreement stems from Iran's recent success in striking U.S. bases in the Middle East using Shahed drones. In response, Ukraine provided interceptors and pilots, and now aims to produce 10 million drones this year, compared to the U.S. Army's 50,000 purchases in 2025. Experts emphasize that the true value of Ukraine's technology lies not just in the drones themselves, but also in the software and skilled operators who continually adapt the technology.

In March, former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll reportedly requested 13,000 Merops interceptors and 10,000 Bumblebee drones from Eric Schmidt's Perennial Autonomy to aid Ukraine during retaliatory strikes from Iran. Although the equipment was delivered within days, operational delays involving Ukrainian components, such as AI beacons from Sine Engineering, delayed full functionality for several weeks.

The Drone Deal is a multiyear defense technology cooperation program between Ukraine and other countries, offering long-term annual funding for Ukraine's defense industry while granting partners access to advanced Ukrainian defense technology. This new format allows for rapid export of battle-tested Ukrainian weapons and expanded cooperation between Ukrainian MilTech companies and their counterparts in partner nations.

Ukraine has already discussed similar agreements with Slovenia and is expected to sign a Drone Deal with Canada during the UN General Assembly in New York.