Redwire says Ukraine combat has reshaped its Penguin tactical drone

Redwire's defence unit, Redwire Defense Tech, says four years of operating its Penguin fixed-wing unmanned aircraft in Ukraine have fundamentally reshaped how it designs, supports and iterates tactical drones. In an interview published on 12 September 2026, co-president and chief growth officer Josh Stinson said the Penguin has been deployed in Ukraine since 2022 and that sustained frontline use has overturned peacetime assumptions about what keeps a drone useful in combat.

According to Redwire, endurance, range and payload are now only part of the equation. Repair times, operator workload, local support, the ability to reconfigure the aircraft in the field, and the speed at which a manufacturer can respond to shifting electronic-warfare threats and tactics — which can change within weeks or even days — have become equally decisive. The lessons have influenced not just the aircraft itself but Redwire's approach to training, maintenance, engineering support and the rollout of new configurations.

Redwire acquired the Penguin platform through its 2025 purchase of Edge Autonomy, giving the space-heritage group a combat-proven ISR drone line alongside its in-space manufacturing and power business.

Read more: The Defence Blog