Report: Ukraine to sign drone deal with US amid war with Iran

Ukraine is expected to sign a security agreement with the United States for the joint production of drone defense systems, amid the war with Iran. The agreement, formulated between the defense ministries, will allow the production of Ukrainian technologies on US soil. President Zelensky stated a goal of producing ten million drones this year.

Ukraine is poised to sign a historic security agreement with the United States in the field of drone and UAV defense, according to a CBS News report citing three sources. The agreement, formulated between the defense ministries of the two countries, will establish a joint military framework for the production of Ukrainian defense technologies on US soil. The urgent need has been sharpened amid the war with Iran, after Tehran began targeting American military installations using Shahed attack drones. Kyiv has already sent interceptors to help block the attacks and has signed similar agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that his country has set a goal of producing ten million drones and UAVs this year. The report revealed that in March, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll approached Eric Schmidt, founder of the drone company "Perennial Autonomous," to urgently supply interceptor and reconnaissance drones to the Middle East. The systems were delivered, but their operational integration was delayed due to a need for artificial intelligence components and engineering knowledge from Ukraine.