WASHINGTON, April 28, 2025 -- The U.S. National Drone Association (USNDA) today announced the launch of its DroneWERX White List Program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at breaking down bureaucratic barriers to innovation by directly connecting warfighter-identified challenges to American-made drone and counter-drone solutions from academia, startups, and industry.
Nicknamed "The Warfighter's Reddit," the USNDA's DroneWERX White List Program reignites and amplifies the success of DroneWERX program originally launched in 2017 as a U.S. Special Operations Command initiative funded through the Special Capabilities Office, reinvigorating a transparent, collaborative ecosystem for sourcing operational problems, crowdsourcing solutions, and accelerating field-ready capabilities—all with the goal of igniting the American drone industrial base and reducing reliance on China's drone supply chain.
Accelerating Hands On Evaluation
Department of Defense (DoD) programs currently governing small drone acquisition remain complex and restrictive, resulting in a systemic bottleneck. Warfighters across the country are unable to access or experiment with new technologies at the speed of relevance, stifling both operational adaptability and domestic innovation.
"Congress has handed the DoD two difficult simultaneous tasks; to prepare for a drone war with China by 2027, and to develop a strong U.S. drone industrial base" said Nathan Ecelbarger, USNDA President. "It should not require a General Officer or Senior Acquisitions Manager's signature to allow warfighters to access and train with emerging NDAA compliant, American-made drone technologies while they await final 'approvals'. The DroneWERX White List will give the operational community the technology toolbox they need and clear the runway for innovators—creating transparency and consistency across the board. We look forward to working with our industry, academic, and operational unit partners to spearhead this effort in the State of Florida."
Not a Gating Mechanism — A Live, Open Repository
The DroneWERX White List will not be a traditional down-select process or approval threshold. It will be structured as a living, transparent repository that crowdsources feedback from operational end users and creates transparency for problem-solvers with potentially viable solutions. As the DoD works to loosen policy and delegate approvals, operational commanders will have direct access to emerging solutions to integrate into their training and experimentation.
There is no "didn't make the list."
If you: 1) Identify a legitimate operational UxS problem, 2) Offer a solution from academia, startup firms or commercial industry, and 3) Are committed to pursuing NDAA compliance and scaling to meet DoD needs— Then you belong on the list.
How the DroneWERX White List Works:
- Crowdsourced Problem Sets
USNDA engages directly with its trusted networks of warfighters, national defense leaders, and public safety professionals to surface real, unstructured problem sets that reflect current gaps in drone and counter-drone capabilities. - Open Solution Sourcing
U.S. startups, university labs, and industry partners submit proposed solutions—regardless of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) or existing vendor status. - Feasibility Evaluation by Government End Users
Operational end users from across the DoD and public safety sectors evaluate the relevance and viability of proposed solutions, prioritizing those with clear field utility. - Grant Support for Prototyping
Early-stage solutions receive USNDA-administered grants for classroom-based prototyping, aligning with the program's mission to partner academic research with mission-driven outcomes. - Field Testing at USNDA Drone Crucibles
Promising solutions are fielded and stress-tested in realistic operational scenarios during USNDA's Drone Crucible competitions and in other organized combat evaluation exercises where government teams evaluate technical performance and mission impact. - Scaling Support for Startups and Early Prototypes
USNDA helps successful concepts attract follow-on investment, connect to NDAA-compliant component supply chains, and secure private or public funding to scale for mission demand. - Navigating the "Last Mile" of DoD Acquisition
The program supports teams through the minimum required steps to meet acquisition needs based on the specific demands of the acquiring DoD component, avoiding over-engineered, one-size-fits-all procurement processes.
Ready to Pilot in 2025 USNDA Drone Crucible
In July 2025 the U.S. Army Special Operations Command's 75th Ranger Regiment is set to take on the U.S. Marine Corps Attack Drone Team at the first USNDA Drone Crucible, a closed competition that will bring both mature and early prototype American made drones to the same field, to help the service teams develop TTPs and identify the best emerging technologies.
The USNDA will pilot this program directly with Special Operations Command (SOCOM) UxS Task Force as the lead DoD partner, evaluating emerging technology on behalf of operational requirements.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Labs (MIT LL) will participate as the lead academic partner alongside several other universities, leveraging the SOCOM Ignite model to bring operational prototypes to the field.
Timeline of Launch
The DroneWERX White List Program initial design architecture will be designed through a hackathon event in partnership with Dr. Eric Schmidt's Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) during the AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness, taking place June 2–4, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
"The DroneWERX White List is an important step toward highlighting and accelerating the incredible work being done by American industry and academia to restore our national competitiveness. It brings visibility to the innovators who are helping to rebuild a resilient domestic supply chain and reduce our dependence on foreign—particularly Chinese—drone technology. This is exactly the kind of mission-aligned initiative the U.S. needs right now." - Ylber Bajraktari, Senior Advisor, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP).
The program will enter a live prototyping and collaboration phase over the summer and fall, with a soft launch and public showcase planned during the USNDA National Drone Conference in December 2025 hosted at Full Sail University in Orlando.
Set to Pilot in the State of Florida
The USNDA has selected the State of Florida to pilot this initiative, given the deep intersection of industry, academia, and DoD stakeholders in the region.
"Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida has become the most military-friendly state in the nation—home to more than 20 major military installations, three combatant commands, and numerous military-friendly universities and industry partners," said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. "We are committed to establishing Florida as best state in the nation to lead in drone manufacturing and R&D—serving our nation's warfighters and supporting a growing industry creating opportunities for Florida's job seekers and job creators."
"From talent to technology solutions, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) works to get the best solutions from students and startups from across the country in key technology areas like autonomy. Unmanned systems like drones have changed the battlespace and DIU is excited about this new opportunity to be an onramp to emerging technologies and systems that help provide the lethality our warfighters need."- Beverly Seay, Southeast Regional Director, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Supplementing, not Replacing, Critical Vulnerability Analysis
The DroneWERX White List program is not designed to be a replacement for critical "last mile" analysis of systems being recommended and authorized for use in operational contexts. This initiative is recognizes the urgency of democratizing access to operational problems and promising solutions in real time for the purpose of training and evaluation in benign environments, giving operational commanders the ability to go hands on with emerging technology at the speed of relevance. The DroneWERX White List Program aims to become a cornerstone of America's drone modernization strategy and rapid acquisition strategy. Through this new platform, the USNDA is building a resilient and self-reinforcing ecosystem—one that gives the warfighter a voice, the innovator a pathway, and the nation a competitive edge.
About the USNDA
The U.S. National Drone Association (USNDA) is volunteer-led, mission-driven nonprofit advancing drone innovation, workforce development, and defense-industrial collaboration across the nation. Through its DroneWERX innovation platform, Drone Crucible competitions, and academic-industry partnerships, the USNDA accelerates national competitiveness in drone and counter-drone capabilities.
Press and media inquiries can be sent to press@usnda.org
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