Who runs Neros and where did they come from?: Soren Monroe-Anderson (CEO) and Olaf Hichwa co-founded Neros in 2023. Monroe-Anderson won the 2020 MultiGP World Champion title in drone racing and holds an MIT Electrical Engineering degree. Both visited Ukraine in 2023 to study battlefield drone requirements.Source: Defense News / DroneXL
How did Neros do in the Pentagon Drone Dominance Phase 1 competition?: Neros finished second with 87.5 out of 100 at the Phase 1 Gauntlet at Fort Moore in March 2026, placing 11.8 points behind winner Skycutter, which scored 99.3.Source: Lowdown
Is Neros supplying drones to Ukraine?: Yes. Neros sends roughly two-thirds of its monthly production (around 1,000 ARCHeR drones) to Ukraine through an international Coalition, with the remaining 500 going to US military branches.Source: Defense News
What is the Neros Archer drone?: The ARCHeR is an 8-inch FPV quadcopter designed for asymmetric warfare. It carries a 4.5 lb payload, has a range exceeding 12 miles, and was developed after the founders tested prototypes in Ukraine in 2023.Source: Defense News

Background

Neros Technologies finished second in the Pentagon's inaugural Drone Dominance Gauntlet at Fort Moore, Georgia in March 2026, scoring 87.5 out of 100, placing 11.8 points behind winner Skycutter. The result confirmed Neros as one of America's most capable FPV drone producers, and the company returned for Phase 2 Stage 1 at Camp Grayling, Michigan (8-20 June 2026) alongside two Ukrainian firms and other Phase 1 veterans .

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in El Segundo, California, Neros was co-founded by Soren Monroe-Anderson (CEO, MIT Electrical Engineering graduate, 2020 MultiGP World Champion) and Olaf Hichwa, both former professional drone racers who visited Ukraine in 2023 to study battlefield FPV requirements. Their flagship product is the ARCHeR, an 8-inch FPV quadcopter carrying a 4.5 lb payload over a 12-mile range. The company is building approximately 1,500 Archers per month, with two-thirds destined for Ukraine and 500 per month going to the US Army, Marine Corps and US Special Operations Command. Total funding stands at $121 million. The Army has budgeted over $36 million for the Neros programme in 2026 under its Purpose-Built Attritable Systems contract.

Neros sits at the intersection of the consumer drone-racing world and state-funded defence procurement, embodying the Pentagon's thesis that commercial FPV expertise translates directly into battlefield attrition capability. Its position as a Phase 1 runner-up rather than winner keeps it competitive pressure visible, and Phase 2 is the decisive test of whether it can close the gap with Skycutter or establish a complementary procurement niche.

Source Material

Neros (Wikipedia)'Made-in-America' drone maker Neros awaits its big Pentagon break

How the World Sees Them

Ukraine

Two-thirds of Neros production flows to Ukrainian frontline units, making it a significant contributor to Ukrainian FPV attrition campaigns despite being a US-domiciled company.

United States (Pentagon)

Neros validates the Drone Dominance initiative's bet on racing-heritage founders; Army has committed $36M+ for 2026 and targets one million drones over three years.