The Drone Dominance Program (DDP) began its competitive selection with the Qualifier, held from June 8–19, 2026, at Camp Grayling, MI. During the Qualifier, 49 drone companies competed in rigorous day and night operations across two challenging mission areas: Long Range Strike and Tactical Assault in Confined Environments. The event featured highly innovative drone designs from across the industry and set the stage for the next phase of the competition.
Following the Qualifier, Gauntlet II was conducted in August 2026 at Fort Carson, CO. Building on the earlier rounds, Gauntlet II missions evaluated drones on their primary find-fix-finish objectives, either at 15km stand-off ranges (Deep Strike) or in confined environments (Close Quarters Battle), with a subset of testing repeated at night. Additional test lanes assessed controlled kinetic engagement and electronic warfare (EW) performance, with drones flown against counter-UAS systems.
To qualify for Gauntlet II, all invited drone companies had to fulfill an order of 120 drones equipped with lethality payloads within about five weeks. Each company was paired with one or more lethality providers.
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.
Full details available on the leaderboard.