# DoD Tests Drone Production at Scale

The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance program is testing whether suppliers can manufacture reliable unmanned aircraft at scale, sustain resilient supply chains, and adapt platforms through modular payloads and systems integration. Robinson Unmanned reports a Gauntlet 1 award to deliver 1,600 SPIRIT FPV systems and qualification for Gauntlet 2, with stated annual production capacity of up to 10,000 systems. Separately, the Marine Corps selected the R66 TURBINETRUCK for MARV-EL Increment 2, with Sikorsky providing MATRIX autonomy technology.

- Companies pursuing DoD drone work should be prepared to substantiate production capacity, supply-chain resilience, and the ability to integrate modular payloads; these are explicit themes of the Drone Dominance effort.
- Robinson’s Gauntlet 1 delivery and Gauntlet 2 qualification indicate a staged procurement pathway for suppliers. The signal gives no contract value, solicitation number, or procurement contact.
- The Marine Corps MARV-EL selection shows a related opportunity for uncrewed aircraft and autonomy providers alongside the DoD’s focus on scalable FPV production.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** September 29, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- United States Marine Corps (USMC)

### Vendors
- Robinson Unmanned (Awardee under Drone Dominance Gauntlet 1)
- Sikorsky (Co-developer of the R66 TURBINETRUCK and provider of MATRIX autonomy technology for MARV-EL)

### Key Quotes
> The companies that will win in the future will be the ones that can take that capability and build it at scale over and over again in the thousands.
> — Paul Fermo, President of Robinson Unmanned

### Sources
- [The drone war will be won on the factory floor, not just the front line - Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/the-drone-war-will-be-won-on-the-factory-floor-not-just-the-front-line) - Breaking Defense