Innovation for the Security of the Nation
The Official Website of the U.S. National Drone Association™
U.S. MILITARY
DRONE CRUCIBLE
June 30 - July 3 | Central Florida
U.S. Marine Corps
Attack Drone Team
U.S. SOCOM
75th Rangers
USDNA will host the first Military Drone Crucible event at [to be announced DoD Installation] in Central Florida. The focus of this Drone Crucible will be a head to head match between the U.S. Marine Corps Attack Drone Team and the U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment, representing the two services in most urgent need of rapidly integrating squad-level sUAS and cUAS capabilities. Additional invitation-only participation will be incorporated from members across the armed services and allied nations, representing operational units and installation commands, requirements officers, senior military leaders, members of Congress, and USG.
The Primary Objective: How to Modernize Squad-level Capabilities.
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Employment and evaluation of current systems that can be immediately fielded to modernize the mission of the rifle squad in order to remain competitive with present-day tactics and technologies:
"To Locate, Close with, and Destroy the Enemy through Fire and Maneuver, or Repel Enemy Assault by Fire & Close Combat [using Drone and Counter-Drone Technology and TTPs]"
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The Secondary Objective: How to Enhance Squad-level Capabilities
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Employment and evaluation of short-term future systems that can enhance capabilities beyond poresent day peer competition, including evaluation of prototypes and advanced applications.
June 30th // Arms Room Briefs​
Demonstration Sponsors will be provided time for booth setup inside the Arms Room and Team Staging Area.
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Sponsors will receive the same Mission Brief as the competing teams, and will participate in an Emerging Requirements & Capabilities information exchange brief directly with DoD end users.
The Air Branch Chief, U.S. Army Robotics Requirements Division (primary sponsor of the Joint sUAS Purpose Built Attritable System Annex) will provide sponsors with a detailed brief on predicted capabilities requirements, with amplifying comments provided by requirements officers from the Navy, Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps.
Members of Congress are invited to discuss appropriation efforts for emerging sUAS and cUAS capabilities.
Opening ceremony remarks will be provided by VIP attendees.
July 1st // Drone Crucible Head to Head Match ​
Round I: For Speed
Round II: Contested with cUAS
Round III: Night Operations
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The primary teams will take the field and execute their preplanned mission sets engaging a variety of targets:​
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➢ Close Quarter Drone "CQD" Breaching/Room Clearing Challenge
➢ ISR to FPV CAS = Respond to request for support, require ID of adversary location, followed by precision strike to 10 digit grid
➢ Multiple “enemy in the open” = require high volume engagement
➢ Static targets = require loitering munition drops
➢ Moving mechanized targets = require operator to strike specific vulnerability point
➢ Covered/concealed targets = require operator to maneuver inside trench, through window, etc.
➢ Moving Aerial Target = require operator to engage RW or Group 3
➢ Long Range strike against critical asset = require fiber optic long range employment
July 2nd // Drone Crucible Secondary Team Match​
Secondary Drone Teams comprised of all other operational unit representatives in attendance will take the field with their selected sUAS load outs. Teams will be advised and assisted by vendors and members of the 75th Ranger Regiment & Marine Corps teams, conducting multiple runs with different technology stacks against the same target set and mission profile.
Upon completion a comprehensive post-mission brief will be conducted with all teams, providing technology sponsors with critical user feedback and performance evaluation.
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July 3rd // Drone Crucible Awards & Outbriefs ​
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DoD end users, Academia Innovation Ecosystem managers, and Industry Technology Sponsors will be participate in a transparent round table discussion evaluating the current gaps between warfighter needs and technology solutions, and provide input on process improvement aided through future regional USNDA Drone Crucible events.
This working group will help establish reasonable qualitative and quantitative feedback criteria used for ongoing technology performance evaluation, and provide recommendations for the development of a continuous repository of DoD problem sets and prototyped solutions provided by industry and academic partners.
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Closing remarks and USNDA Performance Awards will be provided by USNDA, Government, and DoD Senior Leadership.
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PARTICIPANTS & SPONSORS
DoD and USG Participants & Observers
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All DoD and USG members are encouraged to request an invitation to the event. This is a CLOSED EVENT. Space is limited, and invitations will be prioritized for applicants representing installation and operational commands actively pursuing drone and counter drone solutions, acquisitions & S&T organizations, and applicants involved in shaping policy and adoption of emerging small drone and counter drone technologies. ​​
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Industry Technology Sponsors
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The USNDA is a non profit, non-government entity working through close partnerships with USG and DoD organizations. The USNDA covers the logistics cost of events and limited grants to academic partners through paid sponsorships of technology demonstration sponsors. While requirements & acquisitions officers and technology scouts will be in attendance - this event is not connected to, nor promises entry into, formal service requirements or contracts for the federal government.
All participating sponsors will be highlighted in the Drone Crucible Distro B report produced as part of the event, showcasing technology capabilities, performance and application qualities, and team integration. The report will be distributed DoD-wide, with a condensed open source version of the report published on the USNDA website with sponsor permission.
All technology sponsors are responsible for the cost of individual logistics support required to deliver and field technologies, with administrative and event support provided by the USNDA. ​​​​​​​
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➢ Small Drone Technology Sponsors
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This event will focus exclusively on Group 1 "FPV" small drone solutions designed for squad-level operations and employment, flown under 400 AGL. All applicant sponsors should be capable of engaging at least one of the specific target sets provided in the Drone Crucible mission profile.
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Small Drone Sponsors will be responsible for providing training and engineering teams working directly with primary DoD teams to prepare for the Drone Crucible, including two drones provided to each team to build proficiency and competency ahead of the competition. ​​
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​​​​​​​​​​​​➢ Counter-Drone Technology Sponsors
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Target sets will be "protected" by proportional participating counter drone technologies, including dismounted and mounted, kinetic and EW, prototype and program of record systems that replicate a layered and contested environment. Counter-drone technologies sponsors who can demonstrate effective solutions within the sense, identify, track, capture, and defeat spectrum are encouraged to apply for an event invitation. ​​​
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​​​​​​➢ C2 Technology Sponsors
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Multiple VIP and participant viewing & observation stations will be available inside the Arms Room Hangar provided by C2 integration and common operating picture to monitor the live performance of both technology and tactics fielded by competitive teams in a closed, live broadcast environment. Companies providing C2 / COP solutions are encouraged to apply for an event invitation to demonstrate sensor integration and command center display solutions. ​​​​
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​​​​​​➢ Academic Prototype Sponsors & Participants
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The USNDA invites universities, research labs, and students to apply for participation in the Drone Crucible, to bridge cutting-edge academic innovation with real-world defense and security challenges. This is your chance to bring your drone and counter-drone prototypes, AI-driven autonomy solutions, and advanced UAV technologies to the field for live training and evaluation alongside military, industry, and government experts. Whether you are developing next-gen swarm intelligence, counter-UAS defenses, or breakthrough drone mobility systems, this event provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage with warfighters, receive direct feedback, and showcase your technology in operational scenarios. Don’t miss this chance to accelerate your research from the lab to the battlefield—apply now to be part of the Drone Crucible and shape the future of unmanned systems​​​​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Technology Sponsorship cost is $25,000 to cover the advanced level of logistic support and promotional media coverage required to field technology solutions as part of this event. To request an invitation to participate as a Technology Sponsor, please complete the application form below.
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Technology sponsors needing financial sponsorship or grants to participate, or to join USNDA's repository of technology sponsors for consideration in future events are also encouraged to complete the form below.
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General Brand Sponsorships for specific events, or USNDA Industry Council Corporate Sponsors of the 2025-26 competitive season are evaluated separately > please complete the "Join or Contact the USNDA" link above and reference your sponsorship interest.
Technology Sponsor Schedule
- OPEN NOW Technology Sponsor applications & evaluation
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- General Information and Q&A Session (invitations will be sent to all applicants):
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> Thursday, March 27th // 4PM to 5PM EST
> Friday, March 28th // 9AM to 10AM EST
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- Technology Sponsor Selections & Agreements:
> NLT April 15th
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*The USNDA team will engage individually with applicants to assess and support mutual logistics requirements for participation, with the goal of final approvals NLT 15 April, with ongoing support and coordination leading up to the event.