Swarm Defense Selected for $1.1 Billion U.S. Drone Dominance Program

Detroit manufacturer with proven swarm coordination technology and high-volume production capability selected as one of 25 companies

DETROIT, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Swarm Defense Technologies announced today it has been selected as one of 25 companies to participate in the U.S. Department of War's Drone Dominance Program, a $1.1 billion initiative to deploy attack drone systems to American military forces at unprecedented scale.

The company will compete in the Phase I Gauntlet later this month, where military operators will evaluate drone systems across multiple mission scenarios including 10-kilometer range strikes and urban target identification. Up to 12 companies will advance to initial production contracts, with the program ultimately delivering 340,000 drones across four phases through January 2028.

"We're honored to be included among the 25 companies chosen to compete in this initial Gauntlet and are eager to demonstrate our technical and manufacturing capabilities," said Kyle Dorosz, CEO and founder.

Proven Manufacturing at Scale

"Detroit has always been about building things at scale," said Dorosz. "We've been manufacturing drones here for eight years—20,000+ units for entertainment applications. Now we're applying that same intellectual property, technical expertise, production capability and logistics expertise to national defense. It's a natural evolution for this city and this industry."

Swarm Defense spun out from Firefly Drone Shows in August 2024 to apply industry leading technology and logistics expertise to defense applications. The company operates from a Metro Detroit manufacturing facility with a fully NDAA-compliant supply chain and maintains current production capacity of 72,000 units annually, which it is scaling to 250k+ units annually. "The Department of War wants American-made drones from companies that can actually deliver at scale," said Dorosz. "Chinese manufacturers currently dominate global drone production. This program is about rebuilding American manufacturing capability for critical defense technology. That's exactly what Detroit knows how to do."

Swarm Coordination Technology

The company's defining capability is proprietary swarm coordination software that enables a single operator to control thousands of drones simultaneously without collisions. This technology, developed and proven over eight years on operational drone shows, uses real-time path deconfliction algorithms that prevent mid-air interference while maintaining mission effectiveness.

"Phase I focuses on individual drone performance," said Adam Wright, President and former Navy SEAL. "But Phases III and IV explicitly require operators to control multiple drones simultaneously—that's where our technology becomes decisive. Our deconfliction algorithm enables thousands of drones to coordinate. A single operator can deploy massive swarms in minutes, not hours."

The Drone Dominance Program's later phases specifically require "more than one-to-one relationship between drone and operators," making swarm coordination a mandatory capability for vendors to advance beyond Phase II.

From Ukraine to American Doctrine

"Ukraine validated what modern warfare demands: volume, reliability, and rapid deployment," said Wright. "When a $5,000 drone eliminates a multimillion dollar asset, the strategic equation changes completely. The Department of War recognizes that future conflicts require thousands of attritable systems, not dozens of exquisite platforms. We're built for that reality."

Swarm Defense's KIWI one way attack drone features modular payload capacity, 10+ kilometer operational range, and stackable form factor designed specifically for rapid field deployment—logistics advantages developed through years of entertainment operations where setup speed and reliability are non-negotiable.

About Swarm Defense Technologies

Swarm Defense Technologies designs and manufactures drone systems for defense applications, combining high-volume production capability with proprietary swarm coordination software. Spun out from Firefly Drone Shows in August 2024, the company leverages eight years of manufacturing expertise and proven swarm operations to deliver military capabilities at scale.

The company serves multiple defense segments: targetry systems for training applications, software licensing for swarm coordination and one way attack drones. All systems are NDAA-compliant with U.S.-based manufacturing and secure supply chain. The company is positioned to serve allied governments seeking U.S.-manufactured drone systems and swarm software that integrates with existing platforms.

Led by CEO Kyle Dorosz, Swarm Defense is based in Detroit, Michigan. For more information, visit www.swarmdefense.com.

SOURCE Swarm Defense