Perennial Autonomy Won Gauntlet II Drone Competition
The firm secured the top spot in the Department of War's deep strike category with a significant lead over rivals.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Robotics
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Perennial Autonomy finished first in the deep strike category of Gauntlet II, the second round of the Department of War's Drone Dominance Program. The company outperformed the runner-up by 9.2 points, highlighting a competitive shift in the program's testing phases.
Why it matters
This result underscores the logistical challenges facing international drone suppliers, particularly those navigating complex export and integration requirements for the U.S. market. The program’s strict delivery and registration standards continue to filter which developers can successfully fulfill defense contracts.
Perennial Autonomy secured 80.1 points in the deep strike trials, finishing 9.2 points ahead of the second-place competitor. The performance was benchmarked against a requirement to deliver 120 drones fitted with live payloads within a five-week timeframe.
The players
Perennial Autonomy
A defense drone developer and manufacturer formerly operating as White Stork.
Department of War
The federal agency overseeing the Drone Dominance Program and defense procurement standards.
Skycutter
A London-based drone manufacturer that secured a victory in the first round of the competition.
Grim Tech
A high-volume drone producer linked to Ukrainian manufacturing efforts.
The details
To compete, participants were required to deliver 120 drones equipped with live payloads during a five-week trial period at Fort Carson, Colorado. Successful contractors must also be registered as United States legal entities with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, a specialized branch that manages security vetting. While some firms like Grim Tech claim monthly production capacities of 350,000 units, integration of foreign components remains a hurdle due to stringent export permit delays.
Timeline
Perennial Autonomy began operations as White Stork in 2023.
Skycutter won Gauntlet I in March 2026.
Three Gauntlet I vendors completed deliveries by mid-August 2026.
Motors and batteries from certain countries were barred in August 2026.
The article was published on September 29, 2026.
The Tech Race
The transition to Gauntlet II represents a scaling of the Department of War's Drone Dominance Program, which previously vetted eleven companies in the first round. The program serves as the primary benchmark for identifying vendors capable of meeting rigorous U.S. defense delivery timelines.
This development signals that firms capable of overcoming U.S. export and registration hurdles will increasingly dominate defense supply chains. Industry observers should watch for how upcoming Gauntlet III requirements adjust for the integration bottlenecks that hampered earlier applicants.
The takeaway
The competition highlights that domestic registration and supply chain compliance are as critical as production volume for defense contractors. Stakeholders should track the results of Gauntlet III to see if the current leaders maintain their lead against emerging international competitors.
What happens next
The Department of War has scheduled a subsequent evaluation round, Gauntlet III, to continue testing contractor capabilities and delivery reliability.
Further reading
For additional insights on defense sector automation, visit our Robotics section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TechRadar.
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