The Department of Defense is adding reusable unmanned aerial systems capable of dropping bombs to the Drone Dominance Program. The Pentagon issued a request for solutions for reusable bomber and dropper platforms to support this expansion.

The Drone Dominance Program was established in 2024. The initiative initially focused on evaluating and procuring low-cost, one-way attack drones.

In a new request for solutions, Pentagon officials stated that drones are reshaping the character of war. They stated that the Department must provide ground combat forces with tools to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy in close combat.

They stated that while one-way attack drones are critical, additional strike capability is required to support warfighters at low cost and at scale. The Pentagon is seeking man-packable or light-duty combat vehicle-transportable unmanned aerial systems with a mission range of 15 to 30 kilometers.

They stated that the government assumes most systems will have a gross takeoff weight of 55 pounds or smaller, excluding payload weight. The envisioned total payload weight for the drones is 8 kilograms or more. The payload weight is intended to be commensurate with mortars and other applicable munitions in the military inventory.

The platforms must be able to carry multiple warheads. The platforms must be able to strike single and multiple moving and stationary targets in succession. Potential targets include enemy personnel, light armor, maritime surface or landing craft, heavy armor, or other assets.

The Pentagon requires the bomber drones to operate in all-weather and all-lighting conditions. The Pentagon requires the drones to be resilient to attempted jamming of communications and navigation systems. The Pentagon lists advanced target engagement, such as automated target recognition capabilities, as a desirable feature. The Pentagon lists autonomous behaviors, data feeds, and interoperability with other systems as desirable features.

They stated that vendors shall demonstrate targeting capabilities designed to improve engagement effectiveness, increase delivery accuracy, and reduce operation cognitive workload. They stated that demonstrations shall include non-moving drone against non-moving target, non-moving drone against moving target, and moving drone against moving target at various heights. They stated that systems with advanced features are expected to achieve better results than simple first-person view drones that rely on continuous operator input. They stated that the government expects a higher level of reliability and capability from reusable bombers compared to one-way attack systems.

Companies that pass a qualifier round involving vendor-operated systems will proceed to a competitive evaluation called the Gauntlet. The Gauntlet evaluation is scheduled for October 2025. Warfighters will evaluate vendor drones during the Gauntlet to identify the most capable small unmanned aerial systems for scaling and fielding. They stated that evaluations will consider the performance of the entire system, including durable components like the payload release system and ground control equipment.

The Pentagon plans to award approximately $32 million in initial prototype orders to the top performers following warfighter assessments. The Department anticipates purchasing up to 1,200 prototype systems and associated logistics packages for the initial phase. Vendors must provide half of the procured prototype platforms within two and a half months of the delivery order. The solicitation states that additional orders are planned in subsequent phases of the program.

The Pentagon aims to buy hundreds of thousands of drones via the Drone Dominance Program, primarily one-way attack unmanned aerial systems. They stated that reusable bombers will not be ordered at the same volumes as one-way attack systems. They stated that the Phase 2.5 Mission C order is an initial commitment to industry for larger purchases in future phases. Industry responses to the solicitation are due August 5, 2025.