Skycutter scored 99.3 out of 100 in the Pentagon's first Drone Dominance Gauntlet at Fort Moore, Georgia, finishing 11.8 points ahead of runner-up Neros. The winning platform was a modified Shrike 10 Fiber FPV drone, produced by Ukrainian partner SkyFall, controlled via a 12.4-mile fibre-optic Tether. Skycutter placed first in long-distance strike and second in urban strike.

The result is significant because evaluators received only two hours of training per platform before executing simulated combat scenarios, and Skycutter still dominated a field of more than two dozen competitors including established US defence contractors. As the top finisher, Skycutter received the largest initial order of 2,500 units from a planned $150 million procurement of 30,000 one-way attack drones. For Phase 2, a Ukrainian firm is competing as Skycutter's partner in Stage 1 of the Gauntlet, which runs 8-20 June 2026 at Camp Grayling, Michigan.

The Skycutter-SkyFall partnership represents a model where battle-tested Ukrainian drone design meets Western commercialisation, creating a procurement pathway that bypasses Ukraine's wartime export ban through licensed production.

Common Questions

Who won the Pentagon's Drone Dominance competition?

Skycutter, a London-based startup partnered with Ukrainian firm SkyFall, won Gauntlet I with a score of 99.3 out of 100 at Fort Moore, Georgia, beating more than two dozen competitors including established US defence contractors.Source: event

What is Skycutter?

Skycutter is a London-based drone startup that won the Pentagon's first Drone Dominance Gauntlet in 2026, partnered with Ukrainian firm SkyFall to produce the Shrike 10 Fiber FPV drone.Source: event

How many drones did the Pentagon order from Skycutter?

Skycutter received an initial order of 2,500 units as the top Gauntlet I finisher, from a planned $150 million procurement of 30,000 one-way attack drones.Source: event

How did a British company beat US defence contractors?

Skycutter beat US incumbents by deploying a combat-proven Ukrainian FPV drone design (the SkyFall Shrike 10 Fiber) with fibre-optic control, which evaluators could operate effectively after just two hours of training.Source: event

What drone did Skycutter use in the Gauntlet?

Skycutter used a modified Shrike 10 Fiber FPV drone, produced by Ukrainian partner SkyFall, controlled via a 12.4-mile fibre-optic Tether.Source: event