UFORCE Appoints Sean Plankey as U.S. Chief Executive Officer

Plankey will lead the companys U.S. growth strategy, including government relations, strategic partnerships, US based manufacturing initiatives, and expansion across defense, maritime, and critical infrastructure sectors.

Sean Plankey most recently served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, overseeing the United States Coast Guard. He was also twice nominated by the President of the United States to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the country’s main civilian cybersecurity agency.

Sean Plankey joins UFORCE during an important period for the company and global defense modernization efforts. As autonomous systems become more important in modern warfare, UFORCE has built a strong reputation by combining battlefield-tested Ukrainian technology with Western investment, governance, and global distribution capabilities. The company aims to become a leading combat drone manufacturer and help strengthen global security.

UFORCE exclusively produces the Magura unmanned surface vessel, which has played a major role in maritime operations in the Black Sea by helping destroy multiple Russian warships. The vessel also became the first unmanned surface craft reported to have successfully targeted manned helicopters and fighter aircraft. Overall, UFORCE technology has supported more than 200,000 missions in Ukraine.

UFORCE expects its first U.S.-made unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to begin operating this summer as the company expands production in the United States.

The company is also growing its broader autonomous systems platform, which includes aerial, maritime, and ground unmanned systems, along with autonomy software and command-and-control technology. UFORCE says its systems are widely used because frontline operators actively choose them through Ukraine’s military procurement platform.

At the Department of Homeland Security, Sean Plankey helped modernize operations and mission readiness for the United States Coast Guard, including the use of drone technology.

He has also held senior leadership roles in cybersecurity, AI, and defense technology, including Global Leader for Cybersecurity Software at WTW and Chief Technology Officer for Public Sector at DataRobot. Earlier in his career, he worked at the United States Department of Energy and served on the National Security Council as Director for Maritime and Pacific Cybersecurity Policy.

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"As allied governments rethink deterrence, and force projection, UFORCE is exceptionally positioned to deliver capabilities already tested by the most sophisticated militaries in the world, and under demanding battlefield conditions," said Oleg Rogynskyy CEO of UFORCE. "Seans decision to join UFORCE reflects the strength of our platform, and the growing recognition that the future of autonomous defense will be shaped by companies able to combine real combat validation with scalable Western deployment."

"UFORCE represents something fundamentally important for the future of allied security," said Plankey. "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."

"The United States and its allies are looking for defense technology partners that can move quickly, innovate continuously and deliver systems already proven across theaters of combat," Plankey added. "UFORCE is uniquely positioned to meet that demand, and we will do that by manufacturing these capabilities in America."

About UFORCE

UFORCE is a UK based defense technology company focused on scaling advanced autonomous systems for allied militaries. The company brought together nine Ukrainian defense technology developers and manufacturers into one organization, with headquarters in London and operations in Ukraine.

By combining battlefield tested Ukrainian innovation with Western investment, governance and global distribution, UFORCE develops next-generation defense technologies. Its platform includes aerial, maritime, and ground unmanned systems, along with autonomy software and command-and-control solutions.

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