Army Launches Drone Marketplace to Transform Unit-Level UAS Procurement

The U.S. Army is creating an Army drone marketplace — a trusted, validated catalog of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) matched with unit-level mission needs. This initiative blends commercial agility with military verification, replacing slow acquisition cycles with a rapid, transparent process that improves readiness.

From Traditional Acquisition to Agile Selection

Conventional UAS procurement follows long steps: defining requirements, running competitions, selecting vendors, and fielding systems. The marketplace replaces this with continuous evaluations. Vendors submit systems for tiered ratings — bronze, silver, or gold — based on tested range, endurance, payload capacity, NDAA compliance, and mission adaptability.

This aligns with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s directive to equip every squad with low-cost drones by 2026. An always-open marketplace allows faster adoption of innovations while preserving Army performance standards.

Purpose and Verification

With many vendors in the market, soldiers often struggle to separate marketing claims from operational reality. Army experts will verify specifications, ensuring systems meet advertised performance and compliance requirements. This protects units from investing in unsuitable platforms.

The marketplace is also part of the transformation-in-contact initiative, embedding emerging technologies into training and deployments, then refining them based on user feedback. This creates a self-adjusting procurement process that responds quickly to soldiers needs.

Faster Feedback Loops

The system will link soldier feedback directly to acquisition teams and industry partners. Validated systems will be available immediately, cutting the months or years often needed for new equipment. Industry partners will also receive near-real-time performance data to improve their products.

Deputy PM of UAS Ski Horrocks said the interface will be “Amazon-like,” enabling filtering by range, endurance, payload, speed, and cost. This encourages competition, confirms performance, and simplifies decisions for all levels of the force.

Roadmap and Industry Engagement

PEO Aviation will hold an industry day in Huntsville, Alabama, Sept. 16–18 to refine the marketplace. Initial focus will be on launched effects and small drones, with expansion planned. A minimum viable product is expected by early October, serving as the base for growth.

Future versions will let payload vendors pair products with specific drones, creating modular solutions for surveillance, targeting, electronic warfare, or logistics missions.

Strategic Impact

The Army drone marketplace supports a shift toward procurement models that embrace rapid change. In an era of fast-moving drone technology and great-power competition, speed, adaptability, and proven performance are critical. By merging open competition with rigorous verification, the Army is building an acquisition system designed for modern conflict.