This Week in Defense: Drone Dominance Moves to Phase II, DoW Pitches Drone Czar

Research evidence excerpt

This Week in Defense: Drone Dominance Moves to Phase II, DoW Pitches Drone Czar

I N D U S T R Y N O T E

J u l y 5 , 2 0 2 6

Industrial Software & Defense Tech

CONCLUSION Clarke Jeffries

Two major pieces of drone news this week with the Drone Dominance program announcing Sr. Research Analyst, Piper Sandler & Co.

the selection of 19 companies who are invited to advance to Gauntlet II in August with 503 275-8318, clarke.jeffries@psc.com

60,000 of drone orders for top performers at the end of the competition. Additionally last

week, SECWAR released a memo establishing the position of Direct Reporting Portfolio Related Companies: Share Price:

Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS); this "drone czar" will be tasked to unify, AVAV 190.89

KRMN 56.37accelerate, and oversee nearly all of its unmanned and autonomous systems across

KTOS 55.35

all service branches and domains. The DRPM-UxS will oversee: all Groups 1-3 drones, PLTR 129.30

ground robots and UGVs, USVs and UUVs, counter-UAS systems and swarming software.

Needless to say, an immense amount of power in accelerating the procurement and fielding INDUSTRY RISKS

of autonomous systems. Still early in the process, as no individual has been named. Below Subject to procurement demand by the U.S. and

we highlight this week's most important Defense sector headlines: allied nations for defense equipment, solutions

and services.

• DoD Drone Dominance Program Advances 19 Companies to Gauntlet II. The Drone

Dominance Program (DDP) selected 19 companies from a field of 49 to advance to

Gauntlet II, scheduled for Fort Carson, CO in August 2026. The qualifier ran June 8-19

at Camp Grayling, MI, testing platforms in Long Range Strike and Tactical Assault in

Confined Environments missions, both day and night.