Security

Ethiopia Boosts Domestic Drone Production to Combat Regional Insurgencies

AI SUMMARY

Ethiopia has ramped up domestic military drone manufacturing at two factories to strengthen its campaign against regional insurgencies.

Ethiopia has been manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at two factories since 2025 and is estimated to possess a fleet of thousands.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the SkyWin Aeronautics Industries factory in Addis Ababa in March 2025 to produce both civilian and military drones.
A second factory named Aeroabay opened in late 2025 to mass-produce small weaponized First-Person View (FPV) quadcopter drones costing between $5,000 and $10,000 each.
Military analysts suspect that a substantial portion of the drone technology and key components are imported, noting Ethiopia's prior purchases from Turkey, China, and Iran.
The federal military is the only entity in the country that operates military drones, deploying them in regions such as Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray.
The conflict tracking group ACLED reported that federal forces have carried out 102 drone strikes in the Amhara region since the Fano militia insurgency began in April 2023.
At least 14 drone strikes have occurred in the Tigray region in 2026, with seven conducted in August alone, amid fears of a return to active civil war.