The U.S. Army is planning to launch its new UAS Marketplace so that units can select and purchase drones directly through this "Amazon-like" ecosystem, Defense Daily reports. Essentially, the initiative takes a leaf out of Ukraine's playbook with its innovative Brave1 Market, launched in 2025.
The U.S. government officials describe an interface similar to online stores where military personnel can compare drones by specifications and choose the best ones for their types of missions. In this way, they could bypass complex procurement procedures while getting specifically what they need.
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Overall, this project aligns with a broader effort to simplify the procurement, evaluation, and use of drones in the United States military. In recent years, the Pentagon has received a lot of criticism for slowing down the adoption of new technologies and their poor adaptation to modern battlefield threats, such as electronic warfare.
With the marketplace introduced, units should receive a centralized platform that will display all information about the capabilities of a particular drone and its cost, thus accelerating the development and integration of innovative solutions into the Army. It should help collect more feedback about a specific product, too.
Particularly interesting is how this initiative echoes Ukraine's experiences with a very similar project, the Brave1 Market. While there's no clear sign these programs are connected, the path paved by Ukraine and its lessons offers insight into the advantages and challenges along the way. Also, considering the close cooperation between the two countries, Ukrainian specialists are likely to help the U.S. create a similar platform.
So, the Brave1 Market operates as an online store where military personnel can buy UAVs, UGVs, electronic warfare systems, components, and other related military equipment for the funds of their unit, or using points received for the destruction of the enemy.
It is currently unknown which drones and manufacturing companies will be presented, or how many of them will be at the launch. However, U.S. authorities assure these will be proven solutions from trusted suppliers.
At present, it is difficult to assess how effective the ecosystem will be in the long term. The marketplace can provide more flexibility and options here and now, but over time, it is likely that the leadership will have to select the best performing products for mass procurement anyway.
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