Drones / Counter-UAS

The setup

The US government is actively building out its drone and counter-drone capabilities, driven by both defense needs and broader domestic policy. This initiative is marked by significant procurement contracts, legislative efforts to foster international co-production, and a recent executive order imposing substantial tariffs to incentivize domestic manufacturing. The focus spans military applications, from large reconnaissance drones to specialized counter-UAS systems, and increasingly includes civilian agency adoption.

How this developed

1. May 14, 2025Department of the Army awards Textron Systems $1.55B to procure 14 Shadow Unmanned Aircraft Systems.Federal contract
2. Jul 9, 2025Defense Contract Management Agency awards Black River Systems $178.4M for Operational Counter sUAS Open Systems Architecture (OCOSA).Federal contract
3. Nov 7, 2025S.3163 introduced, requiring the Secretary of Defense to seek a joint program with Taiwan for uncrewed and counter-uncrewed systems capabilities.Bill
4. Dec 11, 2025Department of the Army awards General Atomics $1.89B for logistics support services for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System.Federal contract
5. May 4, 2026Air Force Materiel Command issues a Sources Sought notice for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS).Procurement notice
6. May 5, 2026Air Mobility Command issues a Pre-solicitation for DroneGun Mk4, Repair Kit, Immediate Response Kit, & Magnetic Antenna Kit.Procurement notice
7. Aug 13, 2026Presidential Proclamation imposes 100% tariff on imported UAS over 25 kg and 25% on smaller UAS, authorizing an onshoring program.Executive action
8. Sep 11, 2026USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issues a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for Freefly Astro Max (NDAA/Blue) Drones.Procurement notice
9. Sep 14, 2026USDA Forest Service issues a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for a Fixed Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with sensor package.Procurement notice
10. Sep 14, 2026CDC issues a Solicitation for a Flyability Elios 3 Surveying LiDAR Drone.Procurement notice

Why it matters

• The Department of Defense has committed over $3.4 billion in contracts for large military drones (E1, E4) and counter-UAS systems (E2) within a seven-month period, indicating a significant and ongoing investment in these capabilities.
• S.3163 (E3) proposes a new, dedicated procurement pipeline for US-Taiwan joint drone and counter-drone co-production, suggesting a strategic shift towards international collaboration and supply chain diversification for these critical technologies.
• The August 2026 Presidential Proclamation (E11) imposes substantial tariffs (100% on large UAS, 25% on smaller ones) and authorizes an onshoring program, directly incentivizing domestic drone manufacturing and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.
• Recent solicitations from USDA (E12, E13) and CDC (E14) for various drone types, including those compliant with NDAA/Blue standards, demonstrate a broadening adoption of UAS technology across civilian government agencies beyond traditional defense applications.

Named in a federal contract

Only companies that a specific contract in this theme names as recipient or parent. Not a recommendation.

The record · 10 items, oldest first

• May 14, 2025Federal contractTEXTRON SYSTEMS CORPORATION: PROCURE 14 SHADOW UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
• Jul 9, 2025Federal contractBLACK RIVER SYSTEMS COMPANY, INC.: OPERATIONAL COUNTER SUAS OPEN SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE (OCOSA)
• Nov 7, 2025BillA bill to require the Secretary of Defense to seek to engage appropriate officials of Taiwan in a joint program with Taiwan to enable the fielding of uncrewed systems and counter-uncrewed systems capabilities.
• Dec 11, 2025Federal contractGENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.: REQUIREMENT IS FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MQ-1C GRAY EAGLE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.
• May 4, 2026Procurement noticeSources Sought - Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)
• May 5, 2026Procurement noticeDroneGun Mk4, Repair Kit, Immediate Response Kit, & Magnetic Antenna Kit
• Aug 13, 2026Executive actionProclamation: Adjusting Imports of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Components into the United States
• Sep 11, 2026Procurement noticeFreefly Astro Max (NDAA/Blue) Drones for ARS
• Sep 14, 2026Procurement noticeUSDA-Forest Service_Fixed Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with sensor package (Forage and Range Research of the USDA Agricultural Research Service)
• Sep 14, 2026Procurement noticeFlyability Elios 3 Surveying LiDAR Drone

Some keyword matches were judged unrelated to this theme and are excluded from the record above.

How this story evolved

• Sep 14, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal114 recordslatest record Sep 11, 2026

  US boosts domestic drone production with tariffs and seeks joint Taiwan C-UAS development.

  The US government is actively expanding its drone and counter-drone capabilities, driven by both military procurement and strategic industrial policy. This initiative includes significant investments in unmanned aircraft systems for defense and a new focus on domestic manufacturing through tariffs. Concurrently, there's a legislative push for joint drone and counter-drone development with Taiwan.

• Sep 13, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal114 recordslatest record Sep 11, 2026

  US boosts domestic drone production with tariffs and seeks joint Taiwan C-UAS development.

  The US government is actively expanding its drone and counter-drone capabilities, driven by both military procurement and strategic industrial policy. This initiative includes significant investments in unmanned aircraft systems for defense and a new focus on domestic manufacturing through tariffs. Concurrently, there's a legislative push for joint drone and counter-drone development with Taiwan.

• Sep 12, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal114 recordslatest record Sep 11, 2026

  US boosts domestic drone production with tariffs and seeks joint Taiwan C-UAS development.

  The US government is actively expanding its drone and counter-drone capabilities, driven by both military procurement and strategic industrial policy. This initiative includes significant investments in unmanned aircraft systems for defense and a new focus on domestic manufacturing through tariffs. Concurrently, there's a legislative push for joint drone and counter-drone development with Taiwan.

• Sep 11, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal111 recordslatest record Sep 11, 2026

  US ramps up drone procurement and counter-UAS development, imposing tariffs to boost domestic manufacturing.

  The US government is significantly increasing its investment in both unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities, driven by defense needs and a push for domestic production. This initiative includes substantial procurement contracts, legislative efforts to foster international co-production, and new tariffs designed to onshore manufacturing. The Department of Defense is a primary driver, issuing large contracts and numerous solicitations for advanced drone and counter-drone technologies.

• Sep 10, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal110 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  US imposes 100% tariffs on heavy drones, seeks domestic manufacturing, and expands military drone programs.

  The US government is actively pursuing a dual strategy of bolstering its military drone capabilities and counter-UAS defenses while simultaneously pushing for domestic manufacturing of unmanned aircraft systems. This initiative is driven by significant Department of Defense contracts for military drones and counter-drone systems, alongside legislative efforts to foster international co-production and an executive order imposing substantial tariffs on imported drones.

• Sep 9, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal111 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  DoD invests billions in military drones and counter-UAS, while new tariffs aim to boost domestic drone manufacturing.

  The US government is significantly increasing its investment in military drone systems and counter-UAS capabilities, with billions in contracts awarded for procurement and support. Concurrently, new legislation and an executive order signal a strategic shift towards bolstering domestic drone manufacturing and reducing reliance on foreign imports. This dual approach aims to enhance military readiness and secure the supply chain for critical uncrewed systems.

• Sep 8, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal110 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  US imposes 100% tariff on large drone imports, authorizes onshoring program, and seeks joint Taiwan drone production.

  The US government is rapidly accelerating its investment in and domestic production of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities, while simultaneously restricting foreign imports. This push is driven by both defense and economic security concerns, with a clear focus on building a robust domestic industry. A presidential proclamation imposing significant tariffs on imported drones underscores the urgency of this strategic shift.

• Sep 7, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal111 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  US imposes 100% tariff on large drone imports, authorizes onshoring program, and seeks joint Taiwan drone production.

  The US government is rapidly accelerating its investment in and domestic production of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities, while simultaneously restricting foreign imports. This push is driven by both defense and economic security concerns, with a clear focus on building a robust domestic industry. A presidential proclamation imposing significant tariffs on imported drones underscores the urgency of this strategic shift.

• Sep 6, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal113 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  DoD commits $3.4B to drone systems and logistics, while a new Proclamation imposes 100% tariffs on large UAS imports.

  The US government is significantly expanding its drone capabilities and simultaneously moving to onshore manufacturing. The Department of Defense has committed billions to procure and support unmanned aircraft systems, while a new Presidential Proclamation imposes substantial tariffs on imported drones and components. This dual approach aims to bolster domestic drone production and operational readiness.

• Sep 5, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal114 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  DoD commits $3.4B to drone systems and logistics, while a new Proclamation imposes 100% tariffs on large UAS imports.

  The US government is significantly expanding its drone capabilities and simultaneously moving to onshore manufacturing. The Department of Defense has committed billions to procure and support unmanned aircraft systems, while a recent Presidential Proclamation imposes substantial tariffs on imported drones and components. This dual approach aims to bolster domestic drone production and operational readiness.

• Sep 4, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal114 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  US imposes 100% tariff on large drone imports, authorizes onshoring program, and seeks joint Taiwan drone production.

  The US government is rapidly accelerating its investment in and domestic production of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities, while simultaneously restricting foreign imports. This push is driven by both defense and economic security concerns, with a clear focus on building a robust domestic industry. A presidential proclamation imposing significant tariffs on imported drones underscores the urgency of this strategic shift.

• Sep 3, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal111 recordslatest record Sep 2, 2026

  US imposes 100% tariff on large drones, seeks domestic manufacturing, and expands military drone programs.

  The US government is rapidly expanding its drone and counter-drone capabilities, driven by significant military procurement and a new protectionist trade policy. A presidential proclamation in August 2026 imposed steep tariffs on imported drones, aiming to onshore manufacturing. This policy shift coincides with a surge in Department of Defense solicitations for various unmanned aircraft systems and counter-UAS technologies.