- US factories prepare to manufacture MAGURA naval drones proven in Ukraine domestically
- MAGURA V7 reportedly destroyed aerial target using Sidewinder missile technology
- Oregon and South Carolina to host future MAGURA drone production facilities
Ukrainian defense company UFORCE has signed an agreement with American boat builder RECONCRAFT to manufacture the combat-proven MAGURA naval drones in the country.
Reports of The Wall Street Journal claimed the memorandum of understanding was recently signed at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, with production planned at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina.
The project will ultimately aim to build hundreds, if not thousands, of units each year.
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Combat-tested platform settles on American soil
MAGURA drones gained international recognition after repeated strikes helped drive much of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet away from Crimea.
The MAGURA family has since expanded beyond strike missions to include aerial drone launches, mine countermeasures and anti-submarine sonar towing, with the MAGURA V7 variant also capable of engaging helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
RECONCRAFT builds combat vehicles for U.S. and partner special operations forces, while UFORCE developed the MAGURA program from the start.
Under the partnership, the two companies will provide manufacturing equipment, materials and personnel to support the new production lines in both states.
“The partnership with UFORCE combines our expertise and manufacturing capabilities with the combat-proven autonomy of the MAGURA platform,” said Joe Silkowski, co-founder of RECONCRAFT.
This allows us “to deliver greater capability to America’s warfighters more quickly than developing a new system from scratch.”
The deal follows the Pentagon’s increased interest in lower-cost autonomous platforms after recent conflicts in Iran revealed how costly drone warfare can be.
Combat experience sparks wider international interest
Ukraine reported what it described as the world’s first successful naval drone strike against an aerial target in late 2024 using a MAGURA V7 armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
In April 2026, MAGURA unmanned surface ships also participated in the US-Philippine Balikatan military exercise, apparently sinking a target ship during a live-fire demonstration in the Luzon Strait.
“Today’s combat environments show that autonomous combat capabilities are indispensable,” said Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO of UFORCE.
“UFORCE is exceptionally well positioned to deliver capabilities already tested by some of the world’s most sophisticated militaries under the most demanding battlefield conditions. »
“By working with RECONCRAFT, we will help ensure these proven autonomous capabilities are available in the United States,” added Sean Plankey, CEO of UFORCE USA.
“This is exactly the kind of industrial partnership that the Arsenal of Democracy is designed to enable.”
At the time of writing, neither UFORCE nor RECONCRAFT have indicated how American production could influence the price of future MAGURA drones.
Production in the United States is generally more expensive than foreign alternatives, a dynamic long observed in industries from electronics to textiles.
This is one reason why American companies like Apple choose to manufacture their gadgets outside the country, with lower manufacturing costs and well-established supply chains.
It is not yet clear whether this same cost pressure will increase the price of American-made MAGURA drones relative to their Ukrainian-made counterparts.
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