Joint Venture Brings Ukraine's Magura Attack USVs to the United States

Following the first combat success of an American-operated drone boat earlier this month, the pioneering Ukrainian USV maker Uforce has signed an agreement with American boatyard ReconCraft to start building the well-known Magura attack drone series in the United States. It is the second reported deal to start constructing Ukrainian-inspired designs at American facilities, and is ultimately aimed at securing high-volume U.S. Navy procurement contracts.

Under the newly-announced deal, Oregon boatbuilder ReconCraft will collaborate with Uforce to begin delivering the 24-foot Magura drones by the hundreds - and eventually, by the thousands. The drones will be built at a price point under $500,000, a fraction of the cost of a small antiship missile. ReconCraft is an established name in the U.S. military through its long history of building boats for special operations forces.

Sean Plankey, the CEO of Uforce's U.S. operations, will lead the program. A former senior advisor to then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Plankey was a driving force between the U.S. Coast Guard's Force Design 2028 restructuring program. He helped secure its historic $25 billion capex infusion in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

"This partnership demonstrates what's possible when American manufacturing and combat-proven innovation come together," said Plankey in a statement "Working with ReconCraft, we will help ensure these proven autonomous capabilities become available to the U.S."

In Ukrainian service, the sea drones are most often seen employed in mass attacks on Russian ships, and are configured with shaped charges and detonators at the bow. They have an exceptional record of securing sea denial in the Black Sea, and remain in active use for disabling Russia-serving tankers. UAV-carrying and missile-launching versions have been employed for long-range attack and air defense as well, with considerable success.

To secure a foothold in the U.S. market, Ukraine's drone designers will need orders from the Pentagon. According to Radio Free Europe, two sources confirm that a significant deal has recently been signed to allow the export of Ukrainian drones to the United States for testing - a move that would facilitate JV partnerships like the Uforce/ReconCraft deal. RFE's Alex Raufoglu reports that both Ukraine and the U.S. have signed a bilateral statement of intent to facilitate these export arrangements.