The Drone Dominance Program (DDP) is a DoD acquisition initiative to rapidly buy and field large numbers of low‑cost, attritable small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for one‑way attack (OWA) missions. Its stated objectives are to accelerate U.S. industrial capacity for scalable, supply‑chain‑secure sUAS manufacturing; deliver demonstrated, production‑quality systems through iterative ‘‘Gauntlet’’ competitions; and buy demonstrated capabilities (not paper requirements) to arm warfighters at scale as part of rebuilding U.S. military production capacity.
Phase I (the initial "Gauntlet") is a competitive, performance‑based event: invited vendors must demonstrate production‑ready sUAS in flight tests and meet delivery and scalability requirements; the program solicits a Request for Solutions (RFS) rather than only paperwork. Winners receive fixed‑price prototype delivery orders (payment on delivery) — i.e., vendors must both demonstrate capability and be prepared to deliver units for acceptance.
"One‑way attack drones" (also called one‑way attack or OWA sUAS) are expendable, single‑use unmanned aircraft designed to strike a target and not return; they carry a warhead or damaging payload and are intended to be consumed in the attack (attritable/loitering‑munitions style systems).
The department release lists 25 invited vendors; the original War Department page is the official list but was blocked in this environment. Major defense press and the program website reported that 25 companies were invited to Phase I; the specific vendor names were published in the War Department release (access denied here) and in the official RFS/solicitation documents (N0016426SNB26).
Evaluation focuses on live performance in the Gauntlet (missions such as ~10 km open‑area strike and ~1 km urban strike with minimum payload), production scalability, cost per unit, ease of use, and delivery performance. Phase I uses fixed‑price prototype delivery awards (Other Transaction prototype/delivery orders under 10 U.S.C. 4022); vendors bear development/manufacturing risk and are paid on accepted deliveries. The initial Gauntlet/Phase I timeline began in February 2026 (Gauntlet in Feb–Jul 2026 with delivery by July 2026), with up to 12 vendors receiving orders for ~30,000 drones in Phase I per public reporting.
"America's Arsenal of Freedom" is a policy framing used by senior leadership to describe rebuilding U.S. defense industrial capacity and ensuring the United States can produce and deliver required weapons and munitions at scale. The Drone Dominance Program is presented as a practical effort within that framing: it signals demand, incentivizes domestic production of low‑cost attack sUAS, and aims to rapidly field munitions to warfighters to restore industrial surge capacity.
Deploying, transferring, or selling one‑way attack drones is constrained by U.S. export and arms‑control rules and international law. In U.S. law, lethal unmanned systems and munitions typically fall under the State Departments International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the U.S. Munitions List; certain drone components or dual‑use items can be controlled under Commerce Department EAR/CCL. Additionally, use and targeting must comply with international humanitarian law (laws of armed conflict) and DoD policy; arms transfers may require export licenses and interagency review.