UFORCE drone maker has named Sean Plankey as Chief Executive Officer for the United States, signaling a serious push to expand the autonomous defense technology company’s footprint in the American market. The UK-based firm, which brings together combat-proven unmanned platforms developed in Ukraine, said Plankey will guide its growth strategy across the United States. That mandate covers government engagement, strategic partnerships, the build out of stateside manufacturing capabilities, and integration into defense, maritime, and critical infrastructure programs.
The appointment signals a sharpened focus on bringing battlefield-tested systems to allied forces at a moment when unmanned warfare is reshaping military doctrine. UFORCE operates across aerial, maritime, and ground unmanned domains, pairing frontline Ukrainian innovation with Western capital and governance structures. The company says it intends to become the leading combat drone manufacturer in the world while supporting allied modernization efforts and helping prevent the next major conflict before it begins.
Plankey’s Government and Defense Technology Background
Plankey arrives at UFORCE after a career spanning homeland security, cyber defense, and private sector technology leadership. He most recently served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security with oversight of the United States Coast Guard, where he helped modernize operations and mission readiness including drone programs. He was also twice nominated by the President to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the country’s lead civilian cyber defense organization.
His resume mixes private industry leadership with senior posts inside the U.S. government. He previously served as Global Leader for Cybersecurity Software at WTW and as Chief Technology Officer for Public Sector at DataRobot. Earlier in his career, Plankey worked at the U.S. Department of Energy and served on the National Security Council as Director for Maritime and Pacific Cybersecurity Policy. That combination of defense, cyber, and artificial intelligence experience aligns closely with the company’s full-stack approach to autonomous systems.
UFORCE Drone Maker Sets Sights on American Manufacturing
The UFORCE drone maker expects to put its first American built unmanned surface vessels into the water this summer, with plans to scale serial production on U.S. soil. That roadmap reflects what the company describes as growing allied demand for platforms already validated in combat rather than ones still working through long and expensive development cycles. The Magura unmanned surface vessel is the centerpiece of that pitch, with UFORCE citing its role in destroying dozens of Russian warships in the Black Sea and noting that it became the first uncrewed surface vessel to down both manned helicopters and fighter aircraft.
UFORCE traces its strategy to a model that pairs Ukrainian frontline engineering with Western financing and global distribution. The intensity of Ukraine tech development during the past several years of fighting has rewritten assumptions about how quickly defense systems can iterate, and the company says it has supported more than 200,000 missions in Ukraine. The firm was formed by unifying nine Ukrainian defense developers and manufacturers under a single corporate structure, with headquarters in London and operations in Ukraine. Its product line spans aerial, maritime, and ground unmanned platforms, along with autonomy software and command-and-control technologies, and UFORCE notes that frontline operators select gear through a procurement system that lets them choose equipment via a website.
“UFORCE represents something fundamentally important for the future of allied security. The company brings together combat-proven autonomous systems, extraordinary engineering talent, and a model capable of rapidly scaling next-generation defense technologies across allied nations. What Ukrainian engineers and operators achieved over the past several years changed the trajectory of modern warfare.” Sean Plankey, U.S. CEO, UFORCE
Magura Combat Record and the Path to U.S. Production
The Magura platform underpins much of UFORCE’s commercial pitch to allied governments. Built exclusively by the firm, the unmanned surface vessel has compiled one of the most active maritime combat records of any modern autonomous system. The vessel has been tested by some of the most capable militaries in the world and under demanding battlefield conditions, an argument UFORCE leadership is now taking to American policymakers and procurement officials. The Magura record gives the company a starting point that few peers can match as it brings serial production to U.S. shores.
Plankey said the United States and its allies are looking for partners that can move quickly, innovate continuously, and deliver fielded systems, and that UFORCE plans to meet that demand by manufacturing the relevant capabilities in America. UFORCE CEO Oleg Rogynskyy said Plankey’s decision to join the firm reflects the strength of its platform and the recognition that the future of autonomous defense will be shaped by companies that combine real combat experience with scalable Western deployment. With its first U.S. produced unmanned surface vessels expected to launch this summer, the company is entering a phase that will test how quickly its serial production model can scale on American shores.
