U.S. Army Taps Draganfly for FPV Drones and Onsite Manufacturing

The U.S. Army has selected Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) to supply its Flex FPV drone systems and establish forward-deployed manufacturing capabilities at overseas military facilities, marking a strategic shift toward bringing critical drone production closer to operational theaters.

Under the contract announced today, the Canadian drone manufacturer will deliver high-performance first-person view drones while simultaneously setting up onsite manufacturing within U.S. Forces facilities abroad. This embedded manufacturing approach aims to accelerate deployment timelines, reduce supply chain vulnerabilities, and enhance force readiness in an era where FPV drones have become essential tools of modern warfare.

Draganfly Manufacturing Meets the Front Lines

Draganfly’s embedded manufacturing program represents a departure from traditional defense procurement models. Rather than shipping completed drones from distant factories, Army personnel will learn to manufacture Flex FPV systems in-theater under Draganfly’s guidance. The company will provide both flight operations and manufacturing training while managing an NDAA-compliant supply chain to meet strict security requirements.

This decentralized approach mirrors recent U.S. military innovations. During the Swift Response 2025 exercise in Lithuania, paratroopers successfully operated and detonated FPV drones they built themselves against autonomous targets. The unit established its own drone lab for rapid design iteration and training—a model that Draganfly’s program directly supports.

Combat-Proven Technology Advances

The timing reflects FPV drones’ expanding battlefield role. In August 2025, the U.S. Army achieved its first air-to-air kill using an armed FPV drone, demonstrating these systems’ evolving capabilities beyond traditional ground target engagement. Such milestones underscore why bringing manufacturing closer to operations has become a strategic imperative.

“We are honored to support the U.S. Army as it moves critical drone capabilities closer to front lines,” said Cameron Chell, President and CEO of Draganfly. “By combining advanced Flex FPV Drone systems, embedded manufacturing, training and secure logistics, we are helping reinforce operational agility and sustainment for forward-deployed forces.”

The contract positions Draganfly—a 25-year veteran of drone technology with expertise spanning public safety, agriculture, and industrial applications—as a key partner in military innovation. The company’s ability to deliver both hardware and knowledge transfer addresses what military planners increasingly recognize as a critical capability gap.

DroneXL’s Take

This contract signals something bigger than one company winning military business. The Army is essentially saying traditional supply chains can’t keep pace with how rapidly drone warfare evolves. By embedding manufacturing capabilities forward, they’re betting on agility over efficiency—a calculated trade-off when operational needs change faster than procurement cycles.

What’s particularly interesting is how this parallels what Ukraine and other conflict zones have already proven: that distributed, rapid-iteration drone development outpaces centralized manufacturing when tactical requirements shift weekly. The question now is whether this model scales beyond initial deployments, and how other military branches might adopt similar approaches.

Will forward-deployed manufacturing become the new standard for drone procurement, or does this remain a niche solution for specific operational environments? Share your thoughts in the comments below.