Robinson Unmanned, competing as Ascent AeroSystems, has confirmed that its Spirit first-person-view (FPV) drone, a coaxial unmanned aerial system (UAS), has been selected for participation in Gauntlet II of the US Department of War’s (DOW) Drone Dominance Program (DDP).
Through multiple competitive phases, the DDP is a rapid acquisition effort that is building a resilient, US-based supply chain for low-cost, capable, one-way attack drone systems, ensuring fast operational capability is delivered to US warfighters.
Official data published through DDP channels (DroneDominance.mil) placed Robinson Unmanned as one of the top performers in the DDP Phase 1 competition for strong production capabilities, an increasingly relevant signal as the DOW looks beyond capability prototyping to scalable production of mission-ready platforms.
As deliveries of the soldier-deployable Spirit-FPV continue, Robinson Unmanned is also preparing to participate in Gauntlet II at Fort Carson, CO, in August 2026.
“As we advance to Gauntlet II, we recognize that unmanned systems will play an increasingly important role within the Department of War, but the future of unmanned systems won't be defined by drone capability alone. It will be defined by which companies can manufacture reliable systems at scale,” President of Robinson Unmanned, Paul Fermo, stated.
“This milestone validates that Robinson Unmanned, backed by Robinson Helicopter Company’s 53-years of aerospace manufacturing excellence, has the U.S. engineering, manufacturing capability, and resilient supply chain required to rapidly deliver reliable, NDAA-compliant unmanned systems to operators at the speed of relevance."
The Phase 2 qualifier was held in June 2026 at Camp Grayling, Michigan, where Robinson Unmanned and 48 other companies demonstrated unique UAS configurations in one or both of two mission areas: Long Range Strike and/or Tactical Assault in Close Quarters.
Following a strong performance in the Qualifier, Robinson Unmanned was one of 19 companies invited to advance to the next stage.
For the program, Robinson Unmanned is competing with its Spirit-FPV, a rugged, modular, all-weather coaxial UAS, according to the company.
"At Robinson Unmanned we understand that true operational capability begins with aerospace-grade reliability. Built on our NDAA-compliant, Blue UAS Cleared SPIRIT airframe, SPIRIT-FPV is a rugged, modular, easy to deploy system that is ready for real-world missions,” Fermo added.