Ukrainian Defense Drones (UDD) has selected Northwest Ohio as the location of its first US assembly and production facility, expanding its manufacturing footprint to support allied demand for unmanned systems.
Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur announced the move, saying the company plans to invest $18.4 million following the award of its first Pentagon contract.
The planned site at the Lucas County Facility in Holland Village will support the manufacturing, testing, training, and commercial application of first-person view (FPV) drones and other unmanned systems.
The investment also includes supply chain localization and workforce development, with the project expected to create at least 300 jobs.
“An all-hands-on deck approach won the day after our sustained engagement to attract one of the leading manufacturers of unmanned systems, UDD — the US arm of Ukraine’s F-Drones — to start assembly in Northwest Ohio,” Kaptur said.
“UDD is on the cutting edge of drone technology and defense innovation, and its systems are battle-tested on the frontlines of Liberty defending the free people of Ukraine from Dictator Vladimir Putin’s merciless invasion.”
Driven by Pentagon Demand
UDD’s expansion is tied to its participation in the US Department of Defense’s $1-billion Drone Dominance Program, which aims to rapidly field low-cost drones for American forces.
The company competed in the program’s first phase with F-Drones’ combat-proven F10 system, placing sixth overall and securing an initial prototype order for 2,000 FPV drones.
The F10 draws on F-Drones’ wartime experience in Ukraine, where its systems have been tested and deployed in combat.
“Ukraine did more than adapt to drone warfare — it helped invent it,” F-Drones CEO Stas Khutor said.
“We were the first in the world to turn drones into a tool of national defense, to refine them under fire into something close to perfection, and to make them the backbone of our ability to hold the line against a far larger aggressor.”
