U.S. Drone Dominance Program Advances 19 Vendors to Gauntlet II, Competing for 60,000-Unit Attack Drone Contract
The U.S. Drone Dominance Program (DDP) has announced that 19 vendors have advanced to the Gauntlet II phase of its $1.1 billion competition. Testing is scheduled for August 2026 at Fort Carson, Colorado. The program's ultimate goal is to procure 60,000 small one-way attack UAS, marking one of the most significant U.S. military drone acquisition milestones in recent years.
Highlights
- The U.S. Drone Dominance Program (DDP) has advanced 19 vendors to the Gauntlet II phase of its $1.1 billion drone acquisition competition.
- Gauntlet II testing is scheduled for August 2026 at Fort Carson, Colorado, evaluating technical capability, production scalability, and system reliability.
- The DDP's final procurement goal is 60,000 small one-way attack UAS, representing one of the largest U.S. military drone contracts in recent history.
- The full list of 19 advancing vendors has not been publicly disclosed; details will be released as the program progresses.
- Vendors that pass Gauntlet II will be strongly positioned to secure formal production contracts and enter the U.S. military drone supply chain.
The U.S. Drone Dominance Program (DDP) has officially announced the invitation of 19 vendors to participate in Gauntlet II — the second competitive phase of the $1.1 billion Drone Dominance Program. Testing events are scheduled for August 2026 at Fort Carson, Colorado.
The 19 advancing vendors demonstrated strong performance during the preceding Qualifier stage, moving them one step closer to competing for final production contracts. The program's ultimate procurement goal is 60,000 small one-way attack unmanned aerial systems (UAS) — a contract scale widely regarded as a landmark milestone in U.S. military drone acquisition in recent years.
Program Background
The DDP is a priority acquisition initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Defense to strengthen domestic drone production capabilities and secure a technological edge. Through a multi-phase competitive evaluation mechanism, the program aims to identify the most capable vendors and ensure the U.S. military receives high-performance, mass-producible small attack drones.
Significance of Advancing to Gauntlet II
Gauntlet II testing will further validate each vendor's technical capabilities, production scalability, and system reliability. Vendors that successfully pass this phase will be well-positioned to secure subsequent formal production contracts. For competing drone manufacturers, this represents not only a demonstration of technical prowess but also a critical opportunity to break into the U.S. military drone supply chain.
The DDP extended congratulations to all vendors that successfully advanced, and expressed anticipation for continued strong performances during Gauntlet II.
The full list of the 19 advancing vendors has not yet been publicly released. Additional details are expected to be disclosed as the program progresses.
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