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Also known as: DDP
United StatesThe Drone Dominance Program is a US Department of War effort to field low-cost one-way attack small drones at scale, buying them through a series of Gauntlet test events followed by prototype delivery orders to the winners. It is sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of War and executed jointly by the Defense Innovation Unit and the Test Resource Management Center, with Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane holding contracting authority, and it plans USD 1.1 billion in prototype orders over several phases with the aim of buying more than 200,000 drones by 2027. Announced in December 2025, it ran Gauntlet I in February 2026, with orders for 30,000 drones spread over 11 vendors, and Gauntlet II in August 2026, which selected five vendors for each of two missions. Phase 3 plans USD 450 million for about 60,000 drones, with awards expected by mid-December 2026 and Gauntlet III estimated for March 2027.
Under Gauntlet 1, the Pentagon has selected 11 companies to deliver 30,000 small drones through a combination of initial and “bonus” orders. At the lower end of the ordering scale, the department ordered 1,520 drones from Farage Precision while toward the top, Neros has received orders for 4,960.
The good news is, we’re already on the path. I attended both of the first two Drone Dominance Gauntlets, and the improvement between them was impressive. First, the drones were better and more reliable. The operators were better too. The Marines I watched had developed checklists and common language that helped them move quickly through setup and into flight. The test team was also better. Requirements were more clearly defined, scenarios were better differentiated and data collection and scoring were substantially more sophisticated.
| Title | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Recognized assessor award in support of dow drone… | USD 202K | awarded |
| Drone Dominance Gauntlet I - Prototype Delivery… | — | awarded |
| Drone Dominance Gauntlet I - Prototype Delivery… | — | awarded |
| Drone Dominance Program Phase I (Gauntlet) | USD 138.0M | active |
Our team provides custom intelligence reports, tender support, and competitive landscape analysis for defense drone procurement.
We are recruiting interested service members with FPV experience who would like to be considered as pilots for future Gauntlets and related efforts.
The Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is launching Phase 3. Our goal hasn’t changed: get affordable, lethal drones to the warfighters at scale, built on a US supply chain. DDP is awarding $1.1 billion in prototype orders across multiple independent phases. Phase 3 puts $450 million toward roughly 60,000 drones, split evenly across two mission sets, with an option to buy up to 40,000 more.
The Drone Dominance Program has challenged 17 companies to prove their systems capabilities in the Phase 2.5 Bomber Qualifier at Camp Grayling, MI in October 2026. This event will test 17 unique drones in a 15-30km long-range mission across two stages: a vendor-operated bomber qualifier and a military-operated bomber Gauntlet to identify the most capable systems. Each industry contestant must have at least 6 complete systems for testing, as this Phase will be the most demanding and expedited testing of the DDP.
During Gauntlet II, companies were scored based on their performance in the event, evaluations by military operators, and demonstrated production and supply chain capabilities. At the conclusion of the competition, the Drone Dominance Program selected the Top 5 performers in both Deep Strike and Close Quarters Battle mission areas. DDP will place orders for 60,000 drones from these top-performing companies, with order quantities finalized upon contract award.
On behalf of the Drone Dominance Program leadership and the Test Resource Management Center, we'd like to thank you, our industry partners, for joining us at Industry Day on March 25th and 26th.
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