Drone Manufacturing
US Drone Manufacturers 2026: Every Maker and What It Builds — Page 3
Every US company that designs and sells its own drones, from Reaper-class aircraft to palm-sized quadcopters, with a notable US government order for each.
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Europe's Drone Procurement Runs 3-6 Months Behind the Tech
European defence procurement cycles are too slow for drone technology that evolves every three to six months, according to BCG analysis.
Darkhive Wins $49.7M Pentagon Contract Under APFIT Program
Texas drone startup Darkhive lands the largest contract awarded under the Pentagon's APFIT program, worth $49.7M for tactical drone systems.
Frontline and Quantum's German Drone Plant Wins a 2027 Order
The joint venture builds Ukrainian-designed Linza and Zoom drones in Germany. Ukraine's National Guard has ordered more for 2027; size undisclosed.
DRONE VOLT's LineDrone Signs Five High-Voltage Clients
French drone maker DRONE VOLT confirms five industrial clients for its LineDrone, built to operate on power lines carrying up to 735kV.
Ukraine, France Hold Defense Industry Matchmaking in Paris
27 Ukrainian drone makers met 60 French defense firms in Paris seeking co-production deals and European industrial ties.
Arcanus Aerial Upsizes to $25M for Canadian UAV Production
Canadian drone maker Arcanus has secured a $3.15M lead investment and upsized its Series A to $25M as it moves from development into scaled manufacturing.
FlyFocus Raises €4.5M for NATO UAV Production in Poland
Warsaw-based FlyFocus secured €4.5M led by ffVC to build a dedicated manufacturing facility and launch two new UAV platforms in 2026.
Lucid Bots Raises $20M Series B for Window-Washing Drones
Almost every figure about the cleaning-drone maker is its own, and its pages disagree on how many robots it has and how high the Sherpa reaches.
General Cherry to Build Interceptor Drones in New Hampshire
Ukrainian FPV and interceptor drone maker General Cherry has signed a deal with Wilcox Industries to manufacture UAVs at its New Hampshire facilities.
Norinco CY-8: The World's Heaviest Cargo Drone Just Flew
China's Changying-8 cargo drone completed its first flight in Zhengzhou, a 7-tonne MTOW aircraft built for high-altitude logistics and military resupply.
Romania and Ukraine Negotiate €200M Joint Drone Deal
Ukrainian drone manufacturers are in Bucharest this week to finalise a joint production agreement funded through the EU's new SAFE rearmament mechanism.
Unusual Machines Bets on Defense Drone Manufacturing
Unusual Machines is positioning as a domestic NDAA-compliant drone component supplier as US procurement rules tighten.
Anduril's Arsenal-1 Built Its First Fury Jet in July
Anduril says the Ohio line can make 150 a year on three shifts. Production jets wait on 2027 money that Congress has not yet passed.
PDW Raises $110M With Booz Allen Backing for AI Drones
Performance Drone Works raised $110M while ORAN Development Company secured $45M, both backed by Booz Allen’s venture arm.
Companies
Unusual Machines
US drone manufacturer and components distributor building NDAA-compliant drones and parts to cut American dependence on Chinese supply chains.
United States
Anduril Industries
US defense technology company building autonomous weapons, counter-UAS, and AI command software, and manufacturing them at its own Arsenal-1 plant in Ohio.
United States
Quantum Systems
German maker of VTOL reconnaissance drones and autonomy software for European and US defense customers, with large-scale deployment in Ukraine.
Germany
DJI
Chinese private manufacturer of consumer, enterprise and agricultural drones, cameras and imaging systems.
China
Skydio
US drone manufacturer building AI-powered autonomous aircraft, supplying NDAA-compliant enterprise and defense drones to agencies and operators.
United States
Arcanus Aerial Systems
Canadian UAV manufacturer scaling sovereign drone production for defence and government markets, with a Series A upsized to $25 million.
Canada
Darkhive
US defense drone startup making small tactical unmanned systems for dismounted soldiers, with Pentagon APFIT program contracts.
United States
Neros Technologies
US manufacturer of low-cost first-person-view attack drones and counter-UAS interceptors, built around a domestic supply chain outside Chinese components.
United States
Funding
Series C
Sequoia Capital, American Strategic Technology Fund, Interlagos, Valor Equity Partners, Allen & Company, Thiel Capital, Spark Capital, Dylan Field
Neros TechnologiesGrowth
Dragoneer Investment Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Disruptive, Iconiq, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, JPMorganChase, CPP Investments, General Catalyst, Plural, StepStone
HelsingSeries D
Blackstone, Noteus, Airbus, Advent, BOND, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Wellington Management, A.P. Moller Holding, Elephant Lake Ventures, Balderton, HV Capital
Quantum SystemsUndisclosed
Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, NATO Innovation Fund, Project A, Air Street Capital, 201 Ventures, Advent, Döpfner Capital
STARKContracts
Powerus
Unusual Machines
Purchase order from Powerus Corporation for US-made drone components (motors, batteries, cameras and…
U.S. Navy
Lockheed Martin
Not-to-exceed undefinitized contract for software development and testing of the multi-domain combat…
U.S. Air Force
DZYNE Technologies
Modification P00005 to the same Long-Endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft assessment contract…
U.S. Air Force
Leidos
Engineering and integration support for the Medusa counter-small-drone system of systems.
U.S. Air Force
DZYNE Technologies
Modification P00003 to FA8691-26-C-B007 for operational assessment of uncrewed Long-Endurance…