Drone Vendors Gain Non-Competitive Army Test Path
Drone and counter-drone companies can submit participation requests for 2027 Army events that test systems under degraded spectrum conditions.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Military Jobs
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The U.S. Army has opened electromagnetic unreliability test events to private drone and counter-drone vendors under its Permissive Test Range Initiative, launched in August 2026. The first event at Camp Grayling, Michigan, in September 2026 drew four drone companies, and three larger events are scheduled for 2027 for defense-technology firms.
Why it matters
The Army says the goal is to outpace adversaries and speed adoption of new technology, and the program lets companies test systems in a non-competitive setting free from government evaluation or down-selects. For businesses building drone and counter-drone products, it offers a path to field-test under degraded spectrum conditions before any formal procurement decision.
Four drone companies took part in the September 2026 Camp Grayling event, and three large-scale events are scheduled for 2027. The Army has not published participant totals for the upcoming events.
The players
U.S. Army
The U.S. Army is the land military branch of the Department of Defense, which buys drone and counter-drone systems at scale and sets the testing and acquisition standards that defense vendors must meet.
Threat Systems Management Office
The Threat Systems Management Office is an Army organization that develops threat representations and test environments, and it co-created the electromagnetic unreliability events with the Permissive Test Range Initiative.
The details
Vendors subject their systems to denied, degraded, intermittent and limited electromagnetic spectrum conditions, mirroring the signal interference expected in contested environments. A dedicated government concierge helps companies through scheduling, and participation requests are submitted through the U.S. Army Test Range Portal. The Dugway Proving Ground event is planned to add long-range fires and low-cost interceptor testing, capabilities that were not part of the Camp Grayling event.
Timeline
August 2026: Permissive Test Range Initiative launched.
September 2026: Inaugural electromagnetic test event held at Camp Grayling, Michigan.
Feb. 1-5, 2027: Test event at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.
June 14-18, 2027: Test event at West Cibola Range, Arizona.
Sept. 20-24, 2027: Test event at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
Market Landscape
The initiative sits within the Army's broader push to test drone and counter-drone technology in contested-spectrum conditions before formal acquisition. Its non-competitive, no-down-select structure separates it from traditional government evaluation programs that select winners.
Drone and counter-drone companies that want field data under degraded spectrum conditions should review the participation process and plan for the February 2027 Dugway event, which adds long-range fires and interceptor testing. Operators should treat the non-competitive format as a low-stakes way to validate systems, while recognizing that test participation does not guarantee a government contract.
The takeaway
Companies interested in the 2027 events should file participation requests through the U.S. Army Test Range Portal ahead of the Feb. 1-5 Dugway date. Track whether test participation is followed by formal solicitations, since the initiative itself does not award contracts.
What happens next
The Army has scheduled three large-scale electromagnetic unreliability events for 2027: Dugway Proving Ground, Utah (Feb. 1-5), West Cibola Range, Arizona (June 14-18), and Camp Shelby, Mississippi (Sept. 20-24).
Further reading
For more on how defense contracting opportunities are structured, see Military Jobs coverage.
More information
Submit a participation request through the U.S. Army Test Range Portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Army.
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