The Department of War has selected 25 companies to compete in the initial phase of an acquisition reform initiative aimed at rapidly fielding low-cost, small unmanned aerial systems designed to perform one-way attack missions.

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DOW said the selected vendors will participate in the Drone Dominance Program’s initial evaluation phase, known as the Gauntlet, which will kick off on Feb. 18 at Fort Benning in Georgia.

Pentagon Selects 25 Vendors for Drone Dominance Program’s Phase I

The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program highlights how rapidly evolving acquisition efforts continue to shape the defense landscape. These broader trends in air and space operations will bring government and industry leaders together at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. Register now to save your seat!

What Is the Drone Dominance Program?

The Drone Dominance Program is an acquisition effort designed to accelerate the delivery of one-way attack drones to combat units.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, a 2026 Wash100 awardee, announced the program in December.

“The funding provided by the Big Beautiful Bill is ready to be used to mount an effective sprint to build combat power. We call it Drone Dominance,” Hegseth said on the social media platform X. “At the War Department, we are adopting new technologies with a ‘fight tonight’ philosophy – so our warfighters have the cutting-edge tools they need to prevail.”

According to a request for information issued in December, the Pentagon plans to issue $1 billion in fixed-price orders over four phases in the next two years and expects to purchase over 200,000 drones by 2027 through the program.

DOW said that across the program’s four phases, unit costs are expected to decrease as production volumes increase and operational capability improves.

The Office of the Secretary of War sponsors the Drone Dominance Program, which is executed by the Defense Innovation Unit, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division and the Test Resource Management Center.

In his July 2025 memorandum, Hegseth described drone dominance as “a process race as much as a technological race.”

“We are buying what works—fast, at scale, and without bureaucratic delay. Lethality will not be hindered by self imposed restrictions,” the DOW secretary added.

What Is the Drone Dominance Program’s Gauntlet Phase?

Phase I, known as the Gauntlet, serves as the Drone Dominance Program’s initial operational evaluation stage. Under this phase, military operators will fly and assess participating vendor systems.

DOW expects the Gauntlet phase to conclude in early March, at which point approximately $150 million in prototype delivery orders will be awarded. Deliveries are scheduled to begin shortly thereafter and continue over a five-month period.