The U.S. Army has awarded a $20 billion contract to Anduril Industries aimed at strengthening counter-drone capabilities across the Department of Defense (DOD), according to an announcement released Friday evening.
Under the Trump administration, the DOD has been rebranded as the Department of War.
Officials provided limited details about the mission areas the technology will support, but said the deal is designed to consolidate current and future commercial solutions into a unified capability for the Army.
The contract will integrate proprietary and open-architecture technologies, including the AI-enabled Lattice software suite, along with related hardware, data systems, computing infrastructure, and technical support services.
The goal is to create a mission-ready system that can support the Army’s evolving operational and business needs.
Work locations and funding will be determined with each order issued under the contract, which has an estimated completion date of March 12, 2036.
The award was also highlighted in a release from Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401), DOD’s counter-drone task force.
According to the task force, the agreement aims to address interoperability challenges that have complicated joint and interagency operations against hostile drones. By establishing a common command-and-control framework, the initiative is intended to allow military personnel and federal agents to share data, coordinate responses, and counter threats more quickly.
“Based on our testing and evaluation, it became clear that a common command and control system is needed to effectively counter adversary drones,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, the task force’s director.
Ross said the system is intended to ensure that operators and partner agencies have access to the tools needed to address the growing threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
Army Col. Tony Lindh, the task force’s deputy director of acquisitions, said the agreement represents a shift in how the government acquires software-defined defense capabilities.
“This is a decisive move against a pervasive and growing threat; we are breaking down the hurdles that have limited our effectiveness in the [counter]-UAS fight,” Lindh said. “This agreement provides common air domain awareness through a proven [command and control] platform – Lattice – allowing us to build a cohesive, agile, and formidable defensive ecosystem.”