A small British company with Ukrainian ties has emerged victorious in a U.S. military drone competition designed to advance American battlefield technology. Skycutter, working closely with Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall, outperformed more than two dozen American competitors at the first Gauntlet drone fly-off held at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Outperforming Domestic Competitors
Skycutter scored an overall 99.3 out of 100 in the competition, significantly outpacing California-based startup Neros, which came in second with a score of 87.5. The company showcased its Shrike 10-F drone, a compact first-person view (FPV) model designed to counter electronic jamming and spoofing. According to Vincent Gardner, Skycutter's operations director, the drone's success was due to its simplicity and efficiency.
"A lot of people came with, I would argue, quite overengineered solutions," Gardner said. "These drones, they're like mechanical wasps."
Shifting the Drone Industrial Base
Skycutter's win underscores broader trends in military technology innovation, driven by lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, where drones account for roughly 75% of casualties. The company has already secured contracts for more than 2,500 drones and plans to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint. The Defense Department's Drone Dominance program aims to equip American troops with expendable drones on a massive scale within a few years, reflecting a recognition of the urgent need to adapt to modern combat conditions.
Skycutter's collaboration with SkyFall, a Ukrainian manufacturer producing 123,000 units monthly, ensures the exclusion of Chinese components, a key requirement for the program. This partnership highlights the growing influence of foreign expertise in shaping U.S. military capabilities.