Developed in close coordination with Amazon Web Services, the marketplace gives Army units a single digital channel to procure vetted unmanned capabilities. The service is expanding the platform as part of an effort to shorten acquisition timelines, increase competition and give operational units greater choice over the systems they field.
“Agility is at the core of the UAS Marketplace architecture.” said Mr. Rodney Davis, Capability Program Executive, Aviation. “Our team is constantly making iterative, tailored, and functional updates. These new listings enable our Soldiers to meet the demands of an ever-evolving battlefield.”
The addition of Group 3 systems will extend the marketplace beyond its current Group 1 and Group 2 offerings, bringing platforms with greater speed, range and endurance. The Army said the expansion is intended to support missions requiring persistent operations, stand-off capability or more rugged unmanned systems, with a Group 3 Call for Solutions now active on SAM.gov.
“The UAS Marketplace was designed to meet users’ unique mission needs and give them the power of choice,” said Col. Danielle Medaglia, UAS Project Manager. “As capability offerings on the UAS Marketplace expand, we are ensuring our formations have the decisive technological edge they need to dominate in any environment.”
New systems are being added weekly, while filtering and comparison tools allow users to assess offerings by category, price, rating, range, endurance and other characteristics. The expansion will also bring payloads, software, components and accessories into the storefront, allowing units to configure purchases more closely around operational requirements.
The new payload offerings will span intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as non-kinetic functions including electromagnetic warfare and communications. The Army said these capabilities are intended to improve battlespace awareness, support timely data dissemination and generate operational effects while keeping soldiers out of harm’s way.
A new capability selection tool will allow units to start with a base platform and add payloads, accessories and training to create a more complete procurement package. “While the marketplace itself is intuitive and easy to use, this capability selection feature provides added support in the selection process,” said Matthew Hudson, UAS Marketplace.
“It allows users to objectively measure system characteristics, map their operational needs to capabilities, and make decisions more confidently.” The Army said the tool is intended to reduce uncertainty during system selection and allow units to mix and match components around their requirements.
The service is also integrating National Defense Authorization Act compliance into vendor onboarding through system teardowns and cyber inspections conducted by Army assessors. Systems that successfully complete the process receive “cleared” status for unrestricted direct purchasing, while inspection reports can also support vendors seeking Defense Contract Management Agency Blue List certification.
The marketplace is being positioned for wider use by U.S. allies through the Secretary of the Army’s Foreign Military Sales Fast Lane initiative. Twenty-three allied partner nations signed statements of intent this summer, while systems offered for foreign military sales are being evaluated and pre-cleared for partner procurement.
The Army said the UAS Marketplace is a component of the Department of War’s Drone Dominance Initiative and broader acquisition transformation effort. Its model is designed to compress the period between identifying a requirement and putting an unmanned capability into the hands of operational units.
“Our teams have forged invaluable relationships across the Department of War, with our industry partners, with allied partner nations, and with our participating units,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bess, UAS Marketplace Director. “As the Marketplace approach matures, we will continue to accelerate procurement, provide comprehensive procurement support, and deliver the most relevant drone capabilities to our warfighters.”
