Army drone marketplace expands to payloads, software and training

An Army unit shopping for a drone also needs the right sensor, software and training. In August 2026, the service described an expansion of its online marketplace aimed at putting those choices into the same purchasing process.

The consolidated Drone Marketplace at drones.mil brought air and counter-drone offerings together. Ground and maritime sections were still planned, the Army said on August 14. A selection tool would let buyers pair a base aircraft with payloads, accessories and training.

The Army’s original Unmanned Aircraft Systems Marketplace launched on March 24. Developed with Amazon Web Services and the Army Enterprise Cloud Management Agency, it gave military units, government partners and allied countries tools to compare systems, submit feedback and place orders.

That design addresses a practical acquisition problem: different units need different combinations of range, endurance, price and equipment. A common storefront can make the alternatives easier to examine without requiring every buyer to start its supplier search from scratch.

By August, the Army reported more than $750 million in air-marketplace sales. The figure describes purchases reported by the service, not aircraft deliveries. The expansion also sought larger Group 3 aircraft and separate offerings of payloads, components and software.

Vendors still faced screening. Army assessors carried out hardware teardowns and cybersecurity inspections; successful evaluations could clear a system for purchase. The Army said those inspection reports could also support a vendor’s separate pursuit of Defense Contract Management Agency Blue List certification.