Drone Dominance Program
US Department of War program to field 340,000+ low-cost one-way-attack small UAS by 2027; executed by the Defense Innovation Unit with NSWC Crane and the S2MARTS consortium.
The Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is a $1.1B multi-phase initiative, sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of War and jointly administered by the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), with Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane holding contracting authority via the S2MARTS consortium. Announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in December 2025, it aims to field over 340,000 low-cost, one-way-attack small UAS for combat units by 2027. Phase I ('Gauntlet') ranked vendors — including finalists Auterion (5th) and Skyfall — for Pentagon delivery orders; Phase II adds a Stage 1 Qualifier Event (June 2026, Camp Grayling, MI) with tougher counter-UAS conditions and a night-operations mission.
Program detail
- Agency
- U.S. Department of War / Defense Innovation Unit
- Acronym
- Budget
- $1.1B
- Phase
- Phase I (Gauntlet)
- Domain
- Unmanned systems
Participants3
- CompanyAuterionOpen-source drone operating system and fleet management software for defense and enterprise.
- CompanySkyfallUkrainian manufacturer of FPV attack drones (Shrike), the Vampire heavy bomber and the P1-SUN interceptor.
- CompanyAeon IndustrialAustin, Texas-based defense manufacturer building Zeus, a low-cost modular guided missile system, and drone/munition fuzes for the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program.
Contracts0
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Frequently asked
- What is Drone Dominance Program?
- The Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is a $1.1B multi-phase initiative, sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of War and jointly administered by the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), with Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane holding contracting authority via the S2MARTS consortium. Announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in December 2025, it aims to field over 340,000 low-cost, one-way-attack small UAS for combat units by 2027. Phase I ('Gauntlet') ranked vendors — including finalists Auterion (5th) and Skyfall — for Pentagon delivery orders; Phase II adds a Stage 1 Qualifier Event (June 2026, Camp Grayling, MI) with tougher counter-UAS conditions and a night-operations mission.
- Which agency runs Drone Dominance Program?
- Drone Dominance Program is run by U.S. Department of War / Defense Innovation Unit.
- What is the budget for Drone Dominance Program?
- Drone Dominance Program has a budget of $1.1B, currently in its Phase I (Gauntlet) phase.
Sources & citations3
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