Torrance – September 30, 2026 -- Neros Technologies has received an order for 14,000 drones and explosive payloads through the Department of War's Drone Dominance Program, under the Gauntlet II competition, in a deal valued at over $100 million.
Neros drone ranks #1 in Close Quarters Battle and #3 in Deep Strike trials
The award follows Neros' performance in Gauntlet II mission testing, where its Archer platform placed first in Close Quarters Battle scenarios and third in Deep Strike missions. The company says it is the only manufacturer to rank in the top three across both mission categories using a single drone platform.
Department of War prioritizes Archer AI for comms-denied battlefield operations
The Department of War is directing procurement toward Archer AI, Neros' flagship 10-inch autonomy-enabled drone equipped with Terminal Guidance functionality that lets the aircraft fly itself to an operator-selected target without continuous signal links. The department is also ordering significant volumes of the Archer 5" system, a smaller variant built for close quarters battle in urban and indoor environments.
Neros CEO cites delivery speed as key to repeat defense contracts
"Ultimately, Drone Dominance is a test of two things: can competitors build high performance drones? And can they produce them in massive quantities with short notice?" said Soren Monroe-Anderson, CEO of Neros. "We're the only manufacturer to receive multiple bonus awards for Gauntlet I based on our delivery speed — and we're ready to fulfill this next batch of 14,000 drones, and more whenever the Department of War signals need for them."
Neros gains 800 additional units reallocated from rivals that missed deadlines
Beyond the 14,000-unit Gauntlet II order, Neros has received a second bonus order tied to Gauntlet I for 800 additional drones. These units were reallocated from other competitors that failed to meet production deadlines on their original contracts.
Gauntlet II marks first mass shipment of Neros' APEX payload standard
The Gauntlet II order includes the first mass shipment of drones enabled with Neros' Adaptive Payload Exchange (APEX), an open-source, low-cost standard for modular payload integration on small drones. APEX allows military operators to swap conventional, fiber, repeater, and future payloads in the field in real time.