DHS Orders OpenWorks Vision Pace Counter-UAS System Through Amentum Contract

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has placed a purchase order with OpenWorks Engineering for its Vision Pace counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) capability. The order was issued through Amentum’s DoD Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract (DoD IAC MAC), an existing contract vehicle, rather than through a separately identified open solicitation. The announcement was published on October 28, 2026; it does not state the purchase-order value, the date of award, or where the system will be deployed. Those omissions mean the news confirms a procurement and capability requirement, but does not establish a quantified opportunity for other vendors to bid on.

The vehicle provides important context for contractors assessing how DHS accesses technology. The DoD IAC MAC is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract supporting mission-critical research and development across Department of Defense activities. Amentum was awarded the contract by the U.S. Air Force’s 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron and offers research, development, test, and evaluation expertise through it. DHS is the customer for this purchase, and the source describes Amentum as supporting evolving requirements of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). The order illustrates how an established R&D vehicle can serve as a procurement route for a federal customer seeking specialized operational capability.

Vision Pace is described as an ultra-high-performance C-UAS system designed to detect, track, identify, and target dynamic aerial threats from stationary positions or moving platforms. Its features include imaging technology, a direct-drive, low-friction positioner for stabilized tracking, and configurable integration with built-in twin-AI modules or third-party classifiers and trackers. An integrated laser range finder supports fast, accurate geospatial target reporting, while radar and sensor fusion are intended to improve operational deployability. The Rapid Deployment Kit includes an integral battery pack, storage space, and lifting points to help operators reposition the equipment.

For GovCon companies, the award is a competitive and business-development signal rather than a new solicitation notice. It highlights federal interest in countering unwanted surveillance, nuisance drone activity, and payload threats around sensitive sites and public events. OpenWorks Chief Commercial Officer James Cross cited high-profile sporting and cultural events, along with documented drone sightings at airports, major events, and military locations. He said the system’s “precision and accuracy” would contribute to security for U.S. citizens and international visitors. Contractors with complementary sensing, tracking, classification, command-and-control, or deployment solutions can use the requirements profile to assess potential teaming and customer-fit strategies, while recognizing that the disclosed order creates no confirmed follow-on opportunity.

• Buyer: DHS placed the purchase order; the source identifies the DHS Science and Technology Directorate as part of the broader requirement context.
• Awardee: OpenWorks Engineering is providing its Vision Pace C-UAS capability.
• Procurement route: The order was issued through Amentum’s DoD IAC MAC, an existing IDIQ contract vehicle; no separate solicitation is identified.
• Vehicle origin: The U.S. Air Force’s 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron awarded the DoD IAC MAC to Amentum.
• Core functions: Vision Pace combines detection, tracking, identification, and targeting for stationary or mobile deployments.
• Technical features: The system includes imaging technology, stabilized tracking, configurable AI or third-party classifiers and trackers, a laser range finder, radar, and sensor fusion.
• Deployment design: The Rapid Deployment Kit has an integral battery, storage space, and lifting points to support repositioning and operational readiness.
• Threat context: OpenWorks cited drone risks at airports, major events, and military locations, including unwanted surveillance, nuisance engagements, and payload threats.
• Disclosure limits: The purchase-order value, award date, and deployment location were not disclosed, so contractors should not treat the announcement as a priced or open bid opportunity.
• Business-development takeaway: Suppliers of complementary C-UAS technologies can assess DHS requirements and Amentum vehicle relevance, but the source confirms no additional order or solicitation.

The source also reports that Vision Pace capability had been deployed on three continents since its launch in 2025. That claim places the DHS order within a broader deployment history, but the announcement does not identify the other locations or provide quantities, contract values, or performance metrics. As a result, contractors should distinguish the system’s stated capabilities and deployment footprint from information that would normally be needed to estimate the scale of this particular DHS purchase.

For prospective suppliers, the most actionable step is to map relevant capabilities to the disclosed system functions and the customer’s security use cases. Potential areas of complementarity include sensor integration, classification and tracking, geospatial reporting, mobile power and transport, and support for deployment at fixed or temporary sites. Firms considering the DoD IAC MAC as a route to market should verify their own eligibility and assess whether Amentum teaming or subcontracting is relevant; this announcement alone does not establish access to the vehicle or a future DHS requirement. The procurement signal is therefore best read as evidence of targeted federal demand for deployable C-UAS capability, not as confirmation of a broader procurement pipeline.