U.S. Army Tests 40 Armed Drones From 19 Manufacturers Before Selecting Systems for Mass Production

The US Army and Navy evaluated roughly 40 armed Group 1 drones from 19 manufacturers during Gauntlet 2 at Fort Carson under the Drone Dominance Program. Trials covered long-range strikes near 20 kilometres in degraded navigation and communications conditions, plus tactical attacks around two kilometres against buildings, tunnels, trenches, and bunkers. Evaluators assessed moving and stationary targets, day and night operation, radio links, obstacle avoidance, operator workload, video, and payload safety. The competition followed qualification of 79 aircraft from 49 companies and requires contenders to deliver 120 drones within about five weeks before mass-production selections are made.