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US factories prepare to manufacture Ukraine's battle-tested MAGURA naval drones domestically
MAGURA V7 reportedly destroyed an aerial target using Sidewinder missile technology
Oregon and South Carolina will host future MAGURA drone production facilities
Ukrainian defense company UFORCE has signed an agreement with US boatbuilder RECONCRAFT to manufacture the combat-proven MAGURA naval drones domestically.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal has claimed the memorandum of understanding was recently signed at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, with production planned at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina.
The project will have the eventual goal of building hundreds, and potentially thousands, of units annually.
A combat-tested platform moves to US soil
MAGURA drones gained international recognition after repeated strikes helped push 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 combatant craft for US and partner special operations forces, while UFORCE developed the MAGURA program from the outset.
Under the partnership, both companies will contribute manufacturing equipment, materials and personnel to support the new production lines in both states.
"Partnering with UFORCE combines our manufacturing expertise and 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 American warfighters faster than developing a new system from the ground up."
The agreement follows increased Pentagon interest in lower-cost autonomous platforms after recent conflicts in Iran revealed how expensive drone warfare can be.
Combat experience drives broader international interest
Ukraine reported what it described as the world's first successful naval drone strike against an aerial target during late 2024 using a MAGURA V7 armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
In April 2026, MAGURA unmanned surface vessels also took part in the US-Philippines Balikatan military exercise, reportedly sinking a target ship during a live-fire demonstration in the Luzon Strait.
“Today’s combat environments show that autonomous warfighting capabilities are a must-have,” said UFORCE CEO Oleg Rogynskyy.
“UFORCE is exceptionally positioned to deliver capabilities already tested by some of the world’s most sophisticated militaries under the most demanding battlefield conditions.”
"Working with RECONCRAFT, we will help ensure these proven autonomous capabilities become available to the US,” Sean Plankey, CEO of UFORCE USA, added.
“It's exactly the kind of industrial partnership the Arsenal of Democracy is designed to enable."
As of the time of writing, neither UFORCE nor RECONCRAFT has indicated how US production could influence the price of future MAGURA drones.
Production in the United States is typically costlier than overseas alternatives, a dynamic long observed across industries from electronics to textiles.
It is one reason American companies like Apple choose to build their gadgets outside the country, with lower manufacturing costs and established supply chains.
Whether this same cost pressure will raise the price of American-built MAGURA drones compared to their Ukrainian-made counterparts is not yet known.
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