US Kicks Off 'Game Of Drones' To Find Next Generation Of Unmanned Aircraft

When it comes time to develop new hardware for the United States military, defense contractors tend to take several approaches. Typically, these agencies bid their designs and are given approval to proceed to prototyping. The military eventually makes its decision, and a new piece of equipment finds its way into the inventory. Another way involves a more streamlined process, which is what played out in December 2025 during the inaugural Game of Drones to find the next uncrewed military aircraft.

The event took place at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where the Experimental Test Force worked alongside the Defense Contract Management Agency's US-X unit. The event ran from December 8-12, on Rogers Dry Lake at the AFB. Six defense industry partners participated alongside engineers from the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the goal was to experiment with small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) and the hardware needed to operate them.

These types of drones are purposefully small, especially when compared to something as massive as the RQ-4 Global Hawk. Instead, the idea is to expeditiously find a new type of drone in support of the Pentagon's Drone Dominance plan. Game of Drones came together to demonstrate what was available, and it's all meant to take place quickly, with the next meeting occurring in March 2026. The event is designed to demonstrate the rapid design-to-production capabilities of 3D-printed systems from leaders in the defense industry.

The Game of Drones is meant to demonstrate the ability to take a concept from design to flightworthy status as rapidly as possible. These sUASs must be agile and operate across multiple domains, including command and control interoperability, counter-sUAS, autonomous swarming, and more. The event at Edwards AFB utilized the widespread restricted airspace at the airbase alongside a large contingent of Air Force personnel working with the six defense partners present. 

While the Air Force has revealed the existence of Game of Drones, it hasn't detailed much in the way of what was shown or what's in the works. This isn't surprising, as any new technology employed by the Department of War isn't going to be fully demonstrated to the public for all to see its strengths and potential weaknesses. From what has been revealed, the Game of Drones is less about choosing a specific technology and more about restructuring the means by which the typical sUAS is designed, produced, and acquired. This differs significantly from how aircraft like the the MQ-1 Predator war drone or the incredibly fast F-22 Lightning II were produced, as secrecy was paramount in their development.

December's Game of Drones appears to be the beginning of a new process for sUAS procurement, and whatever comes from the event's designs and eventual production could change the face of warfare. Small drones have already upended military combat in the Russo-Ukrainian War; the DoW has taken notice, suggesting that the Game of Drones is leaning towards preparations for sUAS operations that are both offensive and defensive in nature.