Export hurdles and visa waits for Ukrainian companies are forcing the Pentagon to slow its drone competition.
One morning in June, the head of exports at Ukrainian drone company Stellarion found himself unexpectedly needing a U-Haul outside the Detroit airport to transport drones to the Pentagon competition.
While U.S. competitors had weeks to install warheads and prepare, Ukrainian companies faced last-minute regrets driven by export controls, long shipping times and U.S. visa hurdles. Now, the Pentagon is pushing back its next round of competition to November to accommodate them.
Photo: Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images.