Defender Media: Ukraine's battle-tested drone makers reach no top slot in Pentagon's $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program, but some Ukrainian technology wins anyway
The Pentagon's $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program has awarded key contracts to several defense firms, though Ukrainian drone manufacturers failed to secure top positions. Vector received an order for up to 5,000 drones, while Perennial Autonomy won a deep-strike drone trial after beating 10 rivals. Other winners include Neros, which made both Gauntlet II boards. While Ukrainian firms missed the primary slots, some of their technology was still integrated into winning solutions. Startups backed by the Trump family and Eric Schmidt also secured wins in the competition.
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- ✓ The Pentagon's Drone Dominance program is valued at $1.1 billion.
- ✓ Vector won an order for up to 5,000 drones within the Drone Dominance program.
- ✓ Perennial Autonomy won a U.S. Department of War deep-strike drone trial after delivering 120 production-ready aircraft.
- ✓ Neros secured a place on both Gauntlet II boards.
What changed
The Pentagon announced the winners of the Drone Dominance program and Gauntlet II trials, including specific order volumes for Vector.
Live updates
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Ukrainian Drone Makers Miss Top Slots in $1.1 Billion Pentagon Program
The Pentagon's $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program has awarded key contracts to several defense firms, though Ukrainian drone manufacturers failed to secure top positions. Vector received an order for up to 5,000 drones, while Perennial Autonomy won a deep-strike drone trial after beating 10 rivals. Other winners include Neros, which made both Gauntlet II boards. While Ukrainian firms missed the primary slots, some of their technology was still integrated into winning solutions. Startups backed by the Trump family and Eric Schmidt also secured wins in the competition.
Why it matters
The Drone Dominance program aims to scale unmanned aerial capabilities through competitive trials like Gauntlet II. These competitions test production readiness and combat effectiveness to modernize U.S. military hardware. The inclusion of battle-tested technology is a priority given current global conflicts.
What is confirmed
- The Pentagon's Drone Dominance program is valued at $1.1 billion.
- Vector won an order for up to 5,000 drones within the Drone Dominance program.
- Perennial Autonomy won a U.S. Department of War deep-strike drone trial after delivering 120 production-ready aircraft.
- Neros secured a place on both Gauntlet II boards.
- XTEND placed third at Gauntlet II after delivering 120 STRIKER systems.
Still unconfirmed
- Skycutter fell to 4th place in the Gauntlet II rankings.
What to watch next
- Delivery timelines for the 5,000 Vector drones
- Specific details on which Ukrainian technologies were integrated into winning bids
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (7)
- Euromaidan Press — Defender Media: Ukraine's battle-tested drone makers reach no top slot in Pentagon's $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program, but some Ukrainian technology wins anyway
- The Information — Drone Startups Backed By Eric Schmidt and the Trump Family Win the Pentagon’s Latest Competition
- Defence Industry Europe — Perennial Autonomy beats 10 rivals to win U.S. Department of War deep-strike drone trial after delivering 120 production-ready aircraft
- DroneXL — Neros Makes Both Pentagon Gauntlet II Boards As Skycutter Falls To 4th
- ИФЗ РАН — How Five Defense Tech Firms Are Winning The Billion Dollar D
- TechBuzz News — Vector Wins Order for Up to 5,000 Drones in U.S. Drone Dominance Program
- Dealroom — XTEND places third at Gauntlet II after delivering 120 STRIKER systems
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