Ethiopia: Ethiopia Expands Domestic Drone Production As Conflicts Persist Across Regions

What the report says

Ethiopia has expanded domestic production of military and civilian drones as federal forces continue to rely on unmanned aircraft in fighting across several regions, according to an AFP report cited by Addis Standard and published by AllAfrica. The report says two factories are now manufacturing drones, while analysts estimate the country may have amassed a fleet in the thousands. Addis Abeba is the main location identified in the article, with the government’s drone effort becoming more visible in the capital in 2025.

The expansion builds on Ethiopia’s earlier use of foreign-made drones, especially during the 2020-2022 war in Tigray, when air power helped federal forces regain ground. The article says the Ethiopian federal army remains the only force in the country reported to operate armed drones, and that these systems are now also being used in Amhara and Oromia. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed opened the SkyWin Aeronautics Industries factory in March 2025, describing it as a domestic facility for civilian and military unmanned aerial vehicles.

However, AFP and the analysts it quoted said the scale of local production is unclear, and that many components or technologies may still be imported. A second site, Aeroabay, was said to be producing small first-person-view drones, some of which can be adapted to carry explosives. The report notes that drone strikes have been linked by rights and conflict monitors to civilian casualties in Amhara, Tigray and Oromia, underscoring concerns that expanding drone use may prolong conflict while reducing the need for ground deployments.