In October 2026, a new stage of the US Drone Dominance programme — Phase 2.5 Bomber Qualifier — will take place at Camp Grayling in Michigan, USA. As part of the trials, the Pentagon will test bomber drones being considered for equipping US forces. This is reported by Defender Media.
The US Drone Dominance Program предусматривает phased testing and the procurement of a large number of cheap strike drones. Under the programme’s concept, by 2027 the Pentagon is to purchase more than 200,000 such systems.
Phase 2.5 will become a separate strand of the programme focused on reusable bombers. The trials will be conducted in two main stages. First, manufacturers will independently demonstrate the capabilities of their systems as part of the Bomber Qualifier.
After that, selected platforms will be tested by the US military during the Bomber Gauntlet. In total, 17 unmanned systems are planned to be assessed across three missions. Organisers describe this stage as one of the most challenging and fastest-paced rounds of Drone Dominance testing. To take part, each company must prepare at least six fully mission-ready systems.
Among the participants are Ukrainian manufacturers and foreign partner companies that have previously worked with Ukrainian developers within Drone Dominance. In particular, UFORCE USA Services, Grim Tech, Gurzuf Defence, UA Defense Tech, Skycutter and UDD Tech Corp will be involved in the trials.
Which specific models the Ukrainian participants will present has not yet been officially announced. At the same time, it is known that UFORCE works with Nemesis bombers, while Gurzuf Defence is developing heavy multirotor platforms in the Heavy Shot series, including the “Aiudag-6”. In May, this hexacopter set a national payload record: during a test it lifted a 130 kg load to a height of 15 metres and kept it airborne for 15 minutes.
Another Ukrainian participant, Grim Tech, presented the reusable FPV bomber Grim 18 at the MSPO 2026 exhibition in Poland in September. Alongside it, the company also showcased its other unmanned developments.
In addition, Ukrainian defence developers took part in the previous stage of Drone Dominance trials at the US military base Fort Carson in Colorado. Among them was Unwave, a company specialising in electronic warfare equipment, the outlet “Militarnyi” reported.
The trials ran from 24 August to 2 September. They involved 14 drone manufacturers and three developers of electronic warfare systems. One of the event’s aims was to create conditions as close to combat as possible in order to test the resilience of unmanned systems to electronic warfare воздействия.
According to Unwave, after the trials concluded the US side sent the company a request regarding further support for activities within Drone Dominance.
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During the trials, Unwave presented four of its own electronic warfare комплекси. Among them was the “Vikha” tactical-operational level system, which operates in the 300 MHz to 3.2 GHz range, has a power output of more than 100 W, and a stated effective range of over 300 metres.
To protect personnel and positions from FPV drones and munition drops, the company demonstrated the portable multi-channel “Boombox” system. Depending on configuration, it weighs 11–25 kg and operates in the 0.4–1, 1.9–2.7 and 5.8 GHz bands. The radius of its protective zone is stated as from 50 metres.
Another system, the “Shatro”, is designed for installation on vehicles and military equipment. The power of its channels is 50–100 W, and its operating range covers frequencies from 0.2 to 5.8 GHz.
The fourth sample was the “Choven-2” system. According to its stated specifications, it is intended to suppress FPV drones at distances of up to 70 metres and Mavic quadcopters up to 50 metres.
The Pentagon launched the Drone Dominance programme on 17 December 2025. Under the initiative, every six months the US Department of Defense plans to conduct trials of unmanned systems, identify the best manufacturers and sign contracts with them for drone deliveries. The programme’s total budget exceeds one billion dollars.
Overall, the US military has set out four selection stages. During the first phase, based on the results of the trials, 11 companies received the highest scores. They included Ukrainian Defense Drones, which presented drones from Ukraine’s F-Drones, as well as Skycutter — a partner of the Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall.
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