Ukrainian Magura drone maker UFORCE partners with US boatbuilder RECONCRAFT for domestic production

Hot on the heels of the US military's first use of naval drones in combat just over a week ago, the manufacturer of Ukraine's battle-tested Magura naval drones is partnering with an American boatbuilder to produce drone boats in the US for the "Arsenal of Freedom."

Partnership Details

The maker of Ukraine's Magura naval drone—UK-based Ukrainian company UFORCE—is teaming up with US company RECONCRAFT to build uncrewed surface vessels in the United States. The American firm is known for special operations watercraft.

UFORCE stated that through the new partnership, it will "make available to the United States its combat-proven full-stack aerial, maritime, and ground unmanned systems, advanced autonomy software, and command-and-control technologies."

Executive Statements

UFORCE CEO Oleg Rogynskyy said in a statement that the relationship means "these combat-proven capabilities will become available to the US, combining Ukrainian battlefield innovation with American manufacturing excellence."

He noted that his company is "exceptionally positioned to deliver capabilities already tested by some of the world's most sophisticated militaries under the most demanding battlefield conditions," adding that "today's combat environments show that autonomous warfighting capabilities are a must-have."

Joe Silkowski, cofounder of RECONCRAFT—which holds contracts with the US Navy for its own unmanned vessels—said that working with UFORCE "combines our manufacturing expertise and capabilities 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."

Ukraine's Naval Drone Success

Naval drones have become one of Ukraine's most effective weapons at sea, enabling the country to engage Russia's navy despite lacking a comparable fleet of conventional warships. These attacks have:

• Damaged or destroyed Russian vessels
• Helped force much of the Black Sea Fleet away from occupied Crimea

The Magura family of naval drones is among Ukraine's most famous and has been used to attack Russian ships and launch missiles at Russian aircraft. UFORCE said they "contributed to the destruction of more than a dozen Russian warships in the Black Sea."

US Military Adoption

The announcement on US-based naval drone production comes as the American military increasingly embraces these tools as a valuable combat capability. The US executed its first combat strike using naval drones earlier this month.

CENTCOM reported that three Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit an Iranian port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, calling it the first time US forces had employed naval drones in combat.

Previous US Naval Drone Uses

• Rescued the crew of a downed US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter
• Cleared mines in the Strait of Hormuz

The strike on Iran's port—which targeted an Iranian submarine and ship maintenance facility—was the first offensive use.

The Navy is also aware of how the technology could be used against it and is training for scenarios such as naval drone attacks on US warships.

Broader Industry Trend

Western defense companies are increasingly teaming up with their Ukrainian counterparts, with both sides seeking to combine Western manufacturing capacity with Ukrainian battlefield experience. This partnership marks a significant vote of approval for Ukraine's defense industry, which started the full-scale war much smaller and with little international support.