Strike on Terminal Autonomy plant appears to be first time in the war that Moscow has targeted a US defence company
A drone factory in Kyiv destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile on Friday was owned by a US corporation registered in Delaware, in what appears to be the first time Moscow has targeted a US defence company in the conflict.
Terminal Autonomy makes precision “deep-strike” drones with guidance systems that are resistant to Russian jamming signals, according to a person familiar with the company.
The phrase “terminal autonomy” refers to the final phase of a kamikaze drone’s attack in which AI takes over control of the weapon after the defending force jams radio waves or mobile service.
State records show that the corporation was registered in Delaware in 2023. The company’s website says: “We deploy AI-guided loitering munitions and precision munitions, which are already in active service against enemy assets on the frontline.”
Anthony Vinci, a former senior US intelligence officer who wrote The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America, said: “The Russians don’t care who owns the manufacturing facility. It’s still a target. They don’t care if it’s American or someone else’s.”