ReconCraft to build Ukrainian Magura drone boats as Pentagon seeks 1,000-plus

The Pentagon's push to acquire tens of billions of dollars in autonomous weapons has driven Portland-based ReconCraft to partner with Ukrainian company Uforce to manufacture Magura drone boats in the US, targeting hundreds to thousands of the 25-foot unmanned vessels annually.

"The Magura will allow the US to capitalize on lessons, tactics and concepts of operations that have been honed over years of war in Ukraine," said Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO of Uforce.

The Magura, a 25-foot unmanned speedboat, carries a payload exceeding 1,700 pounds for more than 350 miles and costs less than $500,000 depending on configuration, according to Uforce. The vessels have contributed to the destruction of more than a dozen Russian warships in the Black Sea and became the first autonomous surface vessels to down manned helicopters and fighter aircraft in combat.

The deal comes as the US begins deploying sea drones in combat for the first time. American drone boats attacked an Iranian submarine and ship facility at the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month in a kamikaze mission, highlighting the Pentagon's urgent need for expendable maritime platforms that can be produced at scale. The Strait of Hormuz handles about 21 percent of global oil trade, giving the US military's new unmanned capability strategic significance beyond tactical utility.

Battle-Tested Technology Enters US Market

The memorandum of understanding between ReconCraft and Uforce was signed at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington last week. Ukrainian Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna called the deal "an important precedent" that would encourage other companies to deepen US-Ukraine defense industrial cooperation. Under the teaming agreement, both companies will provide supplies, equipment and workers, with production planned at ReconCraft facilities in Oregon and South Carolina. Executives declined to disclose the deal's value.

Sean Plankey, CEO of Uforce USA and a former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security overseeing the US Coast Guard, said the company was "the first USV company endorsed by the Ukrainian government to build in America for the success of the US military." Plankey was twice nominated by the president to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Through the partnership, Uforce will make available its full-stack portfolio of unmanned aerial, maritime and ground systems, along with advanced autonomy software and command-and-control technologies.

Joe Silkowski, co-founder of ReconCraft, said the partnership combines the company's manufacturing expertise with the combat-proven autonomy of the Magura platform, "allowing us to deliver greater capability to American warfighters faster than developing a new system from the ground up."

Pentagon's Autonomous Weapons Push Accelerates

The Pentagon is looking to spend tens of billions of dollars on autonomous systems in the coming years, driven partly by the war in Iran, which has strained US inventories of expensive munitions. Last year, the Pentagon forwarded a list of 12 different Ukrainian drones to several large US defense companies to inquire about potential manufacturing partnerships.

The US has already deployed Ukrainian-designed technology in combat. The Merops aerial drone, which crashes into attack drones, has been sent to the Middle East to fend off Iranian attacks. The Magura partnership represents a significant step in US adoption of Ukrainian battlefield innovation, though the White House's broader effort to access Ukrainian technology and expertise has moved slowly.

European allies have moved faster. Deals between Kyiv and the UK, Germany and Denmark have already resulted in Ukrainian companies establishing operations in those countries, as Europe races to capitalize on battle-tested technology from the war.

The Magura will enter a crowded US market for unmanned surface vessels, where established defense companies such as General Dynamics and RTX, along with startups, are rushing to develop new boats with greater ranges and explosive power. But Rogynskyy said the Magura's combat record gives it a unique advantage: "We are the first USV company that's endorsed by the Ukrainian government to build in America."

President Trump recently said he would consider allowing Ukraine to manufacture American Patriot missile interceptors, which the US has drained in the Middle East and which Ukraine needs to counter Russian attacks. That potential deal, combined with the Magura partnership, points to a deepening of US-Ukraine defense industrial ties that could reshape how the two countries cooperate on weapons production.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.