US defence technology company Performance Drone Works (PDW) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Ukrainian developers The Fourth Law and Odd Systems. The agreement involves exploring the integration of Ukrainian Kurbas combat cameras into PDW drones, as well as localising their production and manufacturing thermal imaging sensors in the United States, dev reports.
The agreement was announced on October 12 at the annual AUSA 2026 defence technology exhibition in Washington.
The Ukrainian-made Kurbas camera, developed by Odd Systems, is currently the most widely used domestically produced thermal imaging camera on Ukraine's front line. It is supplied to more than 200 UAV manufacturers and used on a wide range of platforms, from strike drones to Shahed interceptors.
Under the agreement, PDW will become the industrialisation and manufacturing partner for The Fourth Law and Odd Systems in the United States. Production is planned at PDW's Drone Factory 01, an engineering and manufacturing facility covering more than 8,300 square metres in Huntsville, Alabama.
"Ukraine demonstrates how quickly technology can evolve when engineers and operators work closely together. Our role is to help turn that battlefield experience into capabilities that US and allied forces can deploy and sustain," said PDW CEO James Slider.
In addition to integrating finished cameras, the companies plan to establish US production of thermal imaging sensors, known as microbolometers, under the Project Foundation initiative.
The semiconductor project, unveiled by The Fourth Law and Odd Systems on October 9, aims to establish an independent supply chain for uncooled long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensors in Europe and the United States, reducing dependence on third-party suppliers.
"Ukraine has learned the hard way that you cannot build drones at scale using components controlled by someone else. Kurbas cameras were developed and tested on the front line. Together with PDW, we can bring this technology to American platforms and, through Project Foundation, establish a thermal imaging sensor supply chain directly in the United States," said Yaroslav Azhniuk, CEO of The Fourth Law and co-founder of Odd Systems.
PDW (Performance Drone Works) is a US defence company headquartered in Alabama. It develops and manufactures multipurpose aerial robotic systems, communications equipment and payloads for the US military and allied forces.
The Fourth Law and Odd Systems are Ukrainian defence technology companies founded in 2023 by Yaroslav Azhniuk and a team of engineers and veterans. They specialise in autonomous UAV systems and optical and thermal imaging modules.
Project Foundation is a semiconductor initiative headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, led by CEO Ihor Nakonechnyi. Initial sensor production is scheduled to begin in 2027.
