# DoD Orders Drone Dominance Drones

The U.S. Department of Defense’s Drone Dominance Program placed orders for 14,000 drones from Neros Technologies and 8,000 from Perennial Autonomy in its latest competition phase, with company rankings determining order volumes. Neros’ order for Archer first-person-view drones and related explosive payloads is valued at more than $100 million. Gauntlet 2.5 is scheduled to begin bomber-platform testing in October 2026, and a third competition phase is expected next spring.

- Neros’ order demonstrates a substantial near-term procurement opportunity for small unmanned systems and associated payloads; the Perennial order adds another 8,000 units, though its value was not stated.
- Competition rankings affect order quantities, making performance in mission areas such as Close Quarters Battle and Deep Strike commercially consequential for participants.
- Contractors with scalable, low-cost commercial drone platforms can evaluate their capabilities against the program’s upcoming bomber-platform testing and anticipated third phase.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 01, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

### Vendors
- Neros Technologies (Awardee)
- Perennial Autonomy (Awardee)

### Sources
- [Neros, Perennial Autonomy lead in Pentagon’s drone competition](https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2026/10/01/neros-perennial-autonomy-lead-in-pentagons-drone-competition) - Defense News
- [Neros Says Gauntlet II Order For Drones And Explosive Payloads Is $100 Million - Defense Daily](https://www.defensedaily.com/neros-says-gauntlet-ii-order-for-drones-and-explosive-payloads-is-100-million/unmanned-systems) - Defense Daily