- Shrike 10 Fiber outperformed competitors, scoring more than ten points higher
- F10 drone earns Pentagon contract due to eliminating Chinese components effectively
- Fiber-optic guidance makes the Shrike drone resilient to electronic warfare
The Pentagon has recently selected two Ukrainian drone manufacturers as finalists in its $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program.
For years, Chinese manufacturer DJI has dominated the global small drone market, but the US military is now actively seeking alternatives that do not rely on components sourced from China.
The first phase of the competition selected 12 companies for contract negotiations, and two Ukrainian firms — SkyFall and Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corporation — were included on that list.
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Ukrainian drones skips Chinese components
The top finisher was the Shrike 10 Fiber, a fiber-optic FPV drone developed by Ukrainian company SkyFall in partnership with British firm Skycutter.
The system scored 99.3 points out of 100, finishing more than ten points ahead of its nearest competitor, an American company, Neros.
The drone employs fiber-optic guidance rather than traditional radio frequencies, making it invulnerable to electronic warfare countermeasures.
The fiber-optic spool extends 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.
The sixth-place finisher, Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corporation, presented a different value proposition to American procurement officials.
The company's F10 strike quadcopter scored 72.9 points and earned a place among the 11 winners of the first phase that will divide an initial $150 million procurement budget.
The quadcopter was selected largely because the company has systematically eliminated Chinese components from its supply chain.
After beginning drone production in 2023 with Chinese-sourced parts, the company localized carbon frame and antenna production in 2024.
By 2025, it 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 about 30,000 systems at $5,000 per drone.
The first-place finisher will receive up to 2500 orders, while the 11th and 12th-place finishers will get 1,500 and 1,400 orders, respectively.
Subsequent phases will increase order quantities while reducing per-unit cost targets and the number of participating companies
Phase two will procure 60,000 drones at $5,000 each from 10 companies, while phase three will purchase 100,000 drones at $3,000 each from seven companies.
The final phase will order 150,000 drones at $2,300 each from just five companies.
Two other Ukrainian-connected entities, Drone Fight Group and General Chereshnya, also participated but failed to secure a place among the 12 winners.
Via Defender Media / Defender Media
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