The War Department on Tuesday announced the 25 companies selected to compete in Phase I of the Drone Dominance Program, a fast-track acquisition effort aimed at rapidly fielding low-cost, one-way attack drones at scale.Live operational evaluations, known as “the Gauntlet,” will begin Feb. 18 at Fort Benning, where military operators will test vendor systems. The phase will conclude in early March, when the department expects to award roughly $150 million in prototype delivery orders, with production deliveries starting shortly thereafter.The four-phase program represents a $1.1 billion investment and is designed to compress traditional acquisition timelines, placing warfighters at the center of evaluation while driving rapid iteration, increasing production volumes, and declining unit costs. Officials said the effort is intended to ensure U.S. forces maintain an advantage in the accelerating race for unmanned combat systems.The Drone Dominance Program is sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of War and executed by the Defense Innovation Unit, the Test Resource Management Center, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division. By 2027, the department plans to field hundreds of thousands of weaponized drones for combat operations.

2026-02-04 - War Department invites 25 vendors to compete in Drone Dominance Program (UAS Magazine)

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The War Department has invited 25 vendors to compete in Phase I of the $1.1B Drone Dominance Program, aiming to rapidly field low-cost, one-way attack drones at scale, with live testing starting Feb. 18 and prototype awards issued by early March.

War Department invites 25 vendors to compete in Drone Dominance Program

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War Department invites 25 vendors to compete in Drone Dominance Program