U.S., Ukraine Prepare Drone Defense Pact To Build Systems In America

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to sign a drone defense pact with the United States during the September 2026 U.N. General Assembly in New York, sources say.^[1]

The agreement would let Ukraine test and produce its drone systems on American soil to speed deliveries and improve integration with U.S. defenses.^[1] Sources say the signing is contingent on U.S. readiness and could be finalized once Washington gives the go-ahead.^[1] U.S. officials see the pact as a way to shorten supply chains that have delayed battlefield systems.

Over the past year, the Pentagon and Ukraine's defense ministry created a framework to test and produce Ukrainian defense technology in the U.S. In March 2026, the U.S. Army requested 13,000 Merops interceptor drones and 10,000 Bumblebee drones, but those kits took weeks to become operational because key Ukrainian components and integration support arrived late. Merops interceptors use AI beacons from Ukrainian firm Sine Engineering, carry Ukrainian-made warheads, and required Ukrainian expertise to integrate with U.S. air defense radars. Ukraine aims to produce about 10 million drones in 2026, compared with roughly 50,000 acquired by the U.S. Army in 2025.

If sealed in New York, the pact would shift more of Ukraine's drone industrial base onto U.S. soil and could change how American forces purchase and field high-volume, low-cost unmanned systems alongside traditional air defenses.

1. CBS News