The Pentagons Drone Dominance Program (DDP) has dramatically expanded its Phase II qualifier, inviting 48 companies to send roughly 78 unique drone designs to Camp Grayling, Michigan beginning June 8, 2026 — nearly triple the 18-vendor field originally planned.
A Bigger Field, Higher Bar
Seventeen Gauntlet I returning teams will be back, including award winners Ascent Aerosystems, Powerus, Auterion, Farage Precision, Griffon Aerospace, Halo Aeronautics, ModalAI, Neros, Skycutter, Ukrainian Defense Drones Tech Corp. and XTEND Reality. The 27 newcomers include AeroVironment, ADS + LUMENIER, Cyclops Defense, DefendEye USA, Griff Aerospace and Volatus Aerospace USA.
Two Mission Sets, Double The Range
Phase II splits the field into two distinctly tougher missions. The Long Range Strike profile demands engagements out to 20 kilometers — double Phase I — under contested electronic warfare conditions. The Tactical Assault in Close Quarters profile requires precision work inside complex urban environments and indoor spaces out to two kilometers. Companies can bring two drone types and compete in both lanes.
$300M And 60,000 Drones On The Line
Gauntlet II carries at least $300 million in commitments to procure 60,000 drones from up to 10 winning vendors, with a $5,500 per-unit cap on FPV systems and a pay-for-performance contract model. DDP plans to award production contracts for five long-range designs and three close-quarters designs, before holding the final Gauntlet II event in late August. The program is part of the War Departments push to field more than 200,000 industry-made drones by 2027.
Strategic Context
The expansion lands as the Pentagons broader autonomy budget approaches $50 billion in FY27 and after Perennial Autonomys $500M counter-drone IDIQ reset the size of single-platform deals. Allied buyers and Ukrainian operators will be watching to see which Gauntlet II winners scale into mass production fastest, with the U.S. taking aim at the cheap-drone playbook battle-tested in Eastern Europe.
Reporting based on coverage from Autonomy Global, Breaking Defense, Inside Unmanned Systems and Department of War releases.