Pentagon recruits drone pilots from across services for upcoming competition

What is the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program, and why is it recruiting military drone pilots?

Drone Dominance is the Pentagon’s $1.1 billion effort to grow America’s small-drone industry quickly. Companies compete by submitting aircraft, and the best performers become military stockpiles.

For its next test phase, Gauntlet III, the Defense Innovation Unit plans to recruit about 100 military pilots. They will fly new drones, including some not yet in service. Their results help identify systems that work beyond expert hands. FPV drones are manually flown and can support surveillance or one-way attacks.

DIU also wants an unlimited registry of operators across the services, not merely elite pilots. It values flying, tactics, payload experience, navigation, and urban-flight skills. The registry has no cap, and DIU welcomes pilots with five months or five years of experience. This broad testing matters because ordinary troops will use these systems. Interested service members must complete a Pilot Interest Form. They need a valid .mil email, and their services coordinate participation.

What is an FPV drone, and what does manually flying one in “acro” mode involve?

An FPV drone gives its operator a first-person view from the aircraft, usually through a camera feed. Unlike an automated system, it can be flown manually in “acro” mode, where the pilot directly controls its movement and orientation.

For example, service members may use FPV drones for reconnaissance, surveillance, close-quarters combat, or one-way attacks. The pilot watches the live view and continuously adjusts the controls, requiring flying ability, tactical judgment, and sometimes payload skills.

The Defense Innovation Unit is recruiting about 100 pilots for Gauntlet III, while building a registry with no cap. Erin Cherry says experience can range from five years to five months, because systems must work for ordinary operators, not experts alone.

How many pilots is the Defense Innovation Unit seeking for Gauntlet III, and how large is the overall program?

The Defense Innovation Unit is seeking about 100 pilots for Gauntlet III, the program’s next testing phase. The wider Drone Dominance program is a $1.1 billion Pentagon effort. It aims to expand America’s domestic drone industry and build military stockpiles.

For example, selected service members may fly new small drones, including systems not yet used by the military. Their test flights help determine which companies’ aircraft advance, while some pilots receive training on one-way attack drones.

This is not only an expert-pilot search. DIU wants a standing registry without a size limit, because drones must work for ordinary operators too. DIU also evaluates navigation, urban flying, tactical knowledge, and payload experience. Applicants need FPV experience and a valid .mil email address, with participation coordinated through their services. The effort could broaden military feedback before promising systems become widely fielded.

What skills will the military evaluate besides basic drone-flying ability?

The military will judge drone operators on several kinds of expertise, not just whether they can control an aircraft. DIU says it will examine tactical knowledge, payload experience, long-distance navigation, and urban flight skills. This matters because battlefield drones face varied missions and environments.

For example, one operator might excel at navigating far distances, while another understands how to carry and use a specific payload. DIU evaluates these abilities separately because strength in one area does not prove strength in another. The program also tests whether drones work for ordinary service members, not only expert operators.

Gauntlet III plans to recruit about 100 pilots, while DIU builds a larger military registry. Applicants may have five years of FPV experience or only five months. Their testing will help determine which systems advance, including drones not yet in military service and some one-way attack systems.

How will pilots' test results affect which drone systems the military buys and stockpiles?

Pilots’ results can directly shape which drones move into military stockpiles. DIU says Gauntlet results strongly inform which systems move forward, so the pilots’ performance helps identify equipment that works beyond expert hands.

In Gauntlet III, about 100 pilots will fly newer drones, including systems not yet in military service. Their testing can reveal strengths across missions such as reconnaissance, urban flight, navigation, and one-way attacks. DIU evaluates more than basic flying ability, including tactical knowledge and payload experience.

This matters because a drone must work for ordinary service members, not only elite experts. DIU is building a registry without a participation cap, seeking FPV experience from five months or five years. The broader program aims to expand domestic production and build stockpiles of the best-performing systems. Therefore, pilots do not make the final purchase decision alone, but their test evidence helps determine which systems advance toward military adoption and stockpiles.

Why does the program want a standing registry of drone operators from across all the military services?

The registry would give the program a continuing pool of military drone operators, not just a one-time group of testers. This matters because DIU wants feedback from different services and skill levels before choosing systems for wider use.

For Gauntlet III, DIU plans to recruit about 100 pilots to fly new drones. Some systems are not yet in military service, and test results help determine which aircraft advance. Their varied skills reveal whether drones work beyond expert hands, including tactics, payloads, navigation, and urban flight.

That breadth supports a practical standard: a drone should work for ordinary service members, not only seasoned pilots in the field. Cherry welcomes people with five years or five months of experience, and there is no registry cap. Applicants use a Pilot Interest Form to volunteer, but participation requires service coordination and a valid .mil email.

What are small unmanned aircraft systems, and how can they perform missions such as surveillance, navigation, and one-way attacks?

Small unmanned aircraft systems, or sUASs, are compact aircraft flown without someone aboard. A remote operator guides them, while cameras, sensors, navigation tools, or other payloads help them observe, move, or strike.

In the Defense Innovation Unit’s $1.1 billion Drone Dominance program, FPV drones can support reconnaissance and surveillance. Their live video helps pilots steer manually, including through urban spaces. Other payloads support different tasks, while one-way attack drones deliver payloads to targets without returning.

That flexibility explains DIU’s interest in varied pilot skills, including long-distance navigation and urban flight. For Gauntlet III, it seeks about 100 pilots while building an uncapped military registry. The goal is practical: test newer systems with beginners and experts, then stockpile the best performers.

Key Facts:

📌 Drone Dominance is a $1.1 billion Pentagon program.

📌 Gauntlet III seeks about 100 military pilots.

📌 DIU wants an uncapped registry of drone operators across the services.

📌 DIU seeks about 100 pilots for Gauntlet III.

📌 FPV drones support missions from surveillance to close-quarters combat.

📌 The military operator registry has no cap.

📌 Gauntlet III seeks about 100 military pilots.