Media: US, Ukraine prepare deal to share drone technology

The United States is reportedly preparing an arms deal with Ukraine that would see Kyiv supplying military technology to Washington, rather than the traditional flow of weapons from the US to Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials are currently in Washington to discuss sharing their expertise in battlefield drone technology in exchange for potentially billions of dollars in arms sales, Caliber.Az reports, citing Semafor.

Ukraine has received US weapons for years, but since 2022, it has, by necessity, emerged as a global leader in inexpensive battlefield drones.

A report from the Jamestown Foundation described Ukraine as having “the world’s most innovative defence sector.”

According to the report, the country’s defence industry has expanded by 350% since Russia’s invasion and has become the world’s “drone capital.”

The next likely step for Ukraine’s drone programme is the development of AI-powered drone “swarms,” which would operate collectively rather than as single units requiring individual operators.

By Aghakazim Guliyev