U.S. Drone Expands in Ukraine: It’s a big step forward for Skydio, an American company that makes drones, that it has started hiring Ukrainians. This is the first time the company has tried to do business in a war-torn country. The first people hired will work in customer service and tech.
Just hours before he testified before Congress, Skydio’s CEO, Adam Bry, discussed this development in an interview with Defense News on Wednesday.
“The people in Ukraine are the most advanced drone users I’ve ever encountered,” Bry said according to Republicworld. “There, we want a team.” The number of jobs is now in the single digits, but there is a significant opportunity for expansion. While producing drones in Ukraine might be a goal in the future, Bry said it is more practical to start with smaller parts, such as devices that help prevent jamming.
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Small, commercial-style drones are being used on a large scale for the first time in the war in Ukraine. International companies have used the nation as a test site for their technology for two years to see how it performs in high-stakes electronic warfare situations. American companies like AeroVironment and Shield AI have given their goods to Ukraine to help with its defense efforts and get useful information about how well their products work.
Even with the infusion of American technology, China, which controls most of the world’s drone industry, produces most of the drones used in Ukraine. Bry did emphasize, however, that despite conflicts with agreements with the US government, the needs of Ukraine are currently what drive Skydio’s product development.
Although they are not the same, the Army’s standards for the SRR program are comparable to those of Ukraine. The main distinction is resilience; Ukraine needs drones that can withstand strong Russian jamming, which was not previously given priority in the SRR program. “This has been a shift in strategy for us,” Bry said. When there is a difference, we prioritise what we observe in Ukraine.
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According to Bry, Ukraine acts as a “proving ground” for small drones. If Skydio’s drones can function and live there, then the U.S. military would have a strong selling point. “It’s a risk from a business standpoint, but I think it’s a risk worth taking,” he said, acknowledging the associated commercial hazards.
