Could Ukrainian drones replace DJI in the US? 'Mysterious' Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corporation selected by the US Army in the Drone Dominance contest because they have no components sourced from China
The U.S. Drone Dominance program will purchase tens of thousands of drones
· TechRadarNews By Efosa Udinmwen published 20 March 2026
Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter
Get the TechRadar Newsletter
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter
- 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.
Article continues below
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.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors