RSI Europe delivers 9,500 Shpak FPV drones to NATO buyer
AI Analysis
RSI Europe has delivered 9,500 Shpak FPV drones to an undisclosed NATO member, with the majority intended for use by Ukrainian forces. This represents RSI Europe's largest contract to date, driving a tripling of their production capacity to 120,000 units annually. The company is also actively pursuing US Department of War contracts via a partnership with WGS Systems.
Key Takeaways
- RSI Europe delivered 9,500 Shpak FPV drones in a six-month program.
- The Shpak system includes three variants: FH (frequency-hopping), FO (fiber-optic, 15km range), and a thermal imaging model.
- The contract included RISE-1 remote initiation sets for combat engineering and strike groups.
- RSI Europe’s production capacity has increased from 40,000 to 120,000 units/year.
- RSI Europe is partnering with WGS Systems to pursue contracts under the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program.
Why It Matters
The large-scale procurement and rapid production increase demonstrate the growing importance of FPV drones in modern warfare, particularly in contested environments like Ukraine. This highlights a shift towards decentralized, low-cost drone systems and the need for effective counter-drone measures. The US market entry signals potential expansion of this technology and tactics beyond Eastern Europe.
RSI Europe delivers 9,500 Shpak FPV drones to NATO buyer
Lithuania’s RSI Europe delivers 9,500 Shpak FPV drones to undisclosed NATO buyer
May 26, 2026
Defense(Credit: RSI Europe)
Vilnius-based drone manufacturer RSI Europe has completed delivery of 9,500 Shpak first-person view (FPV) systems for an undisclosed NATO member state, with most of the airframes transferred onward to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the company announced on May 26, 2026.
The six-month program is by some distance the largest single contract in RSI Europe’s history. The company described the deal as a trilateral arrangement involving the firm, an unnamed trade partner and the purchasing government, neither of which it identified. A smaller share has been retained by the buyer’s armed forces for training and doctrine development, while the bulk has gone to Ukrainian units already operating the type in combat.
RSI Europe’s previous benchmark was the €4 million August 2024 procurement by Lithuania’s Defence Resource Agency, covering 5,000 drones for Ukraine and 2,300 for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. A smaller fiber-optic batch was delivered to Ukraine in July 2025.
Three variants and remote initiation sets
The new delivery covered three Shpak configurations. The Shpak FH uses frequency-hopping communications for contested electromagnetic environments. The Shpak FO carries fiber-optic spools of up to 15 km for control under heavy electronic warfare pressure. A third thermal-imaging variant is built for low-light and night operations.
The package also bundled in RISE-1 remote initiation sets, lightweight units with a 25 km line-of-sight range designed for combat engineers, explosive ordnance disposal teams and FPV loitering-munition strike groups.
From RISE-1 to volume FPV production
(Credit: RSI Europe)
RSI Europe was founded in April 2022 in direct response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It initially focused on remote-initiated electronics, the basis of the RISE-1 family, before pivoting to FPV strike drones as quadcopters became the dominant tactical class on the front lines.
Revenue reached €15.5 million in 2025, up roughly 80 percent year-on-year. RSI now counts 12 NATO and allied countries as users of its systems, with operator training publicly acknowledged for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr and the Belgian Armed Forces since June 2024.
Production tripled to 120,000 units
The contract has prompted RSI Europe to triple annual production capacity, from about 40,000 to 120,000 units a year. The 120,000 figure was first advertised in February 2026 at Enforce Tac in Nuremberg, alongside an NDAA-compliant Shpak variant now anchoring a US market push.
In May 2026, RSI entered into a partnership with Maryland-based WGS Systems to offer Shpak for US Department of War procurement. WGS was among 48 invitees to the Phase 2 Qualifier of the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program.
The Office of the Secretary of War’s $1.1 billion initiativ