Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The Army’s Redstone Test Center acquired four Navy MQ-8C Fire Scout aircraft in July 2025 to test Army sensor packages, extending the platform’s use beyond its planned divestment timeline. The existing effort may create follow-on demand for sensor integration, test support, mission-control systems, spare engines, and related equipment, but no solicitation, contract value, or procurement contact is identified.

The U.S. Army awarded Safe Pro Group its first U.S. Government prime contract, a $2.5 million effort to integrate the company’s threat-detection AI with Anduril Industries’ Ghost-X drone platform. The award signals Army procurement interest in AI capabilities for unmanned aircraft systems, but does not identify a follow-on solicitation or subcontracting opportunity.

AEVEX Corp. announced a multi-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award from an unnamed U.S. customer for unmanned aircraft systems and related support, with a ceiling of nearly $400 million. The ceiling is not guaranteed revenue; actual work, timing, and value will depend on task orders, none of which were disclosed.

The Midwest UAS Test Site began operations October 29 at Terre Haute Regional Airport, becoming one of nine federally designated UAS testing locations. It may offer developers and national-security contractors a real-world venue for drone testing, but no contract, funding, vendor selection, or site-access process was announced.

DEVCOM’s Army Research Laboratory demonstrated a 3D-printed heavy-fuel rotary engine paired with a 400-volt motor-generator aboard the Group 3 VICTOR unmanned aircraft near Huntsville. Research findings have transitioned to industry for maturation, signaling potential follow-on integration work—but no solicitation, award, funding amount, or procurement timeline is identified.

AIRO Group Holdings says it has made its first sale of RQ-35 and RQ-70 unmanned aircraft systems to an unnamed U.S. government customer. The sale establishes an initial federal past-performance record, while the RQ-35’s placement on the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Blue UAS List may support consideration by other agencies; value and follow-on demand remain undisclosed.

Redwire is positioning its Stalker unmanned aircraft system as a combat-proven capability supporting the U.S. drone industrial base. The material reflects potential defense demand for low-cost reconnaissance and strike drones, but identifies no solicitation, contract value, procurement timeline, or government point of contact.

The U.S. Coast Guard expects to compete a follow-on medium-range unmanned aircraft system contract valued at more than $100 million for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance across its 11 statutory missions. The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contract is expected to run through July 1, 2037, with a solicitation anticipated December 23, 2026, and award expected in the third quarter of FY2027.

Mistral has secured a contract with the U.S. Army to deliver THOR drone systems and payloads. This award offers companies insights into Army procurement trends, particularly in tactical unmanned aircraft systems, although no financial specifics or bidding opportunities were disclosed.

The U.S. Army has awarded Siemens Government Technologies an $80 million contract to modernize the Anniston Army Depot into a manufacturing hub for unmanned aircraft systems. This initiative aims to enhance in-house capabilities and reduce reliance on external suppliers by utilizing AI-driven technologies.