Neros Technologies has received an order worth more than $100 million from the Defense Department under Gauntlet II of the Drone Dominance Program, DroneXL reported on September 30. The order covers about 14,000 first-person-view drones along with explosive payloads and related equipment.

Drone prices ranged from $3,500 to $4,500 each, with the rest of the order value going toward the explosive payloads. The company also received 800 additional drones that were forfeited by competitors that failed to meet production deadlines. That is the second time Neros has earned bonus units, after 2,000 in the first Gauntlet round.

The order includes the Archer AI, a 10-inch FPV drone with terminal guidance, and a 5-inch Archer variant designed for urban and indoor use. Neros earned its position with a first-place finish in the Close Quarter Battle category and third in Deep Strike at Fort Carson in August.

Other vendors named in the competition include Skycutter, Swarm Defense, Tectonic Defense, Ukrainian Defense Drones, Griffon Aerospace and ModalAI. The program is built to test whether manufacturers can produce drones in massive quantities on short notice, and Neros’s bonus awards show the penalty for companies that cannot keep up with delivery schedules.

Source: DroneXL.