Shark Tank Meets Military: Dragon's Lair Winner To Bring New Tech To The Battlefield

Just eight months after placing second at the XVIII Airborne Corps' Dragon's Lair competition at Fort Bragg, a modular drone case invented by two 82nd Airborne paratroopers has already started going into production. 

Ahead of the competition, SPC Alexander Soto, a paratrooper assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, wanted to figure out a solution that kept drones safe in the battlefield. He said: "We needed to be able to carry drones in our rucksacks for airborne operations. The idea of a smaller rigid case that allowed us to pack it also made it possible to get them in the air as soon as we hit the drop zone." 

After pitching the idea, Soto worked with SSG Larry Dockins from the Airborne Innovation Lab to develop a prototype. The lightweight, sturdy case was developed in just three months. According to Soto, the small case not only protects the drones, but has compartments that allow the drone to be quickly employed by soldiers once they land.

The 2025 edition of the Airborne Corps' Dragon's Lair marks the 11th year of the competition, inspired by the "Shark Tank" series for entrepreneurs with inventions and business ideas. However, the turnaround for the drone case was a lot faster. This is thanks to the Airborne Corps' ongoing Lt. Gen. James M. Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost (JIOP), which took on the drone case as a pilot for its new rapid-procurement system. 

The JIOP opened in 2026, named after Lt. Gen. James Gavin, who commanded the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II, leading the division through D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. "This is an investment in that future, where we will develop and test cutting-edge capabilities while forging enduring new partnerships with the best of the military, industry, and academia to meet the future head on," said Rob Braun, XVIII Airborne Corps Chief Technology Officer. The goal is to "enhance the lethality and survivability" of U.S. soldiers. 

By feeding the JIOP innovations from the Dragon's Lair, it ensures that the innovations are things that "soldiers want and view as viable solutions to problems," noted Col. Thomas R. Monaghan Jr., the JIOP Director. While the drone case may not seem like a big deal on the outside, Soto had noted the importance of having extra space for essentials in soldiers' bags while solving the ongoing issue of drones getting damaged during operations. As various drones become more prominent in the battlefield, these kinds of solutions to keep them safe without taking up space are seen as a necessity.