Uforce has signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. boatbuilder Reconcraft, Clackamas County, Ore., to manufacture the company's Magura unmanned surface vessels in the United States.
The agreement will pair UFORCE's autonomous vessel technology with RECONCRAFT's U.S. manufacturing capabilities. The companies announced the partnership July 21 following a signing ceremony hosted by the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington.
Uforce, a Ukraine-origin autonomous systems company based in the U.K., develops aerial, maritime and ground unmanned systems, along with autonomy software and command-and-control technology.
Its Magura family of USVs has been used extensively by Ukrainian forces during the war with Russia, particularly against Russian naval forces in the Black Sea. Uforce said Magura vessels have contributed to the destruction of more than a dozen Russian warships. The company also said a vessel in its portfolio was the first autonomous surface vessel to shoot down manned aircraft in combat.
Under the agreement, UforceUSA and Reconcraft plan to manufacture the vessels domestically and make the technology available for U.S. defense applications. Uforce has also entered the U.S. Drone Dominance competition and related programs in partnership with Reconcraft.
The U.S. effort will be led by Sean Plankey, CEO of Uforce USA. Plankey previously served as senior advisor to the secretary of Homeland Security, where his responsibilities included oversight of the Coast Guard. He was also twice nominated to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
"Today's combat environments show that autonomous warfighting capabilities are a must-have. Uforce is exceptionally positioned to deliver capabilities already tested by some of the world's most sophisticated militaries under the most demanding battlefield conditions," said Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO of Uforce. "Through this partnership with Reconcraft these combat-proven capabilities will become available to the U.S., combining Ukrainian battlefield innovation with American manufacturing excellence."
Reconcraft builds combatant craft for U.S. and allied special operations forces. The company said working with Uforce will allow it to incorporate the Magura platform's existing autonomous technology rather than develop a new system from the ground up.
