- Shrike 10 Fiber outperformed its competitors, scoring more than ten points higher
- F10 drone wins Pentagon contract thanks to effective elimination of Chinese components
- Fiber optic guidance makes Shrike drone resistant to electronic warfare
The Pentagon recently selected two Ukrainian drone makers as finalists for its $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program.
For years, Chinese manufacturer DJI dominated the global market for small drones, but the U.S. military is now actively seeking alternatives that don’t rely on components from China.
The first phase of the competition selected 12 companies for contract negotiations, and two Ukrainian companies – SkyFall and Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corporation – were on this list.
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Ukrainian drones ignore Chinese components
The top runner-up was the Shrike 10 Fiber, a fiber optic FPV drone developed by Ukrainian company SkyFall in partnership with British company Skycutter.
The system scored 99.3 points out of 100, finishing more than ten points ahead of its closest competitor, American company Neros.
The drone uses fiber optic guidance rather than traditional radio frequencies, making it invulnerable to electronic warfare countermeasures.
The fiber optic spool spans 20 km, ensuring a stable video feed throughout the flight.
It carries up to 1 kilogram of warhead mass. SkyFall declined to comment on its participation, asking to wait for official announcements.
Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corporation, which finished sixth, presented a different value proposition to U.S. procurement officials.
The company’s F10 attack quadcopter scored 72.9 points and ranked among 11 winners in the first phase that will share an initial procurement budget of $150 million.
The quadcopter was chosen largely because the company has systematically eliminated Chinese components from its supply chain.
After starting drone production in 2023 with parts of Chinese origin, the company has localized the production of carbon frames and antennas in 2024.
By 2025, the company had expanded to manufacturing flight controllers, speed controllers and video transmission systems in-house or through European suppliers.
The Drone Dominance program is structured as a four-stage competition: The first phase will result in orders for approximately 30,000 systems at $5,000 per drone.
The first place will receive up to 2,500 orders, while the 11thth and 12th place finalists will receive 1,500 and 1,400 orders, respectively.
Later phases will increase order quantities while reducing unit cost targets and the number of participating companies.
The second phase will procure 60,000 drones at $5,000 each from 10 companies, while the third phase will purchase 100,000 drones at $3,000 each from seven companies.
The final phase will involve ordering 150,000 drones at $2,300 each from just five companies.
Two other Ukraine-linked entities, Drone Fight Group and General Chereshnya, also participated but failed to secure a spot among the 12 winners.
Via Defender Media / Defender Media
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