US Selects Four Firms, Including Ukrainian Partners, for Artemis One-Way Drone Program
The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has selected four US companies, two of which are partnering with Ukrainian firms, to develop long-range, one-way drone prototypes under the Artemis program.
AeroVironment, Dragoon, Swan, and Auterion have been awarded contracts to produce Artemis prototypes for operational evaluation. Swan and Auterion are collaborating with two undisclosed Ukrainian drone manufacturers.
According to the DIU, the primary goal of the Artemis program is to develop “adaptable” loitering munitions capable of operating in an electromagnetic-contested environment.
The drones must be cost-efficient to allow for large-scale production and deployment.
The four companies were selected following a competitive solicitation process, which involved the comprehensive evaluation of 165 proposals.
Artemis prototypes are expected to be submitted by the end of fiscal 2025.
Specific Requirements
The Artemis platform must be ground-launched and capable of operating at ranges between 50 kilometers (31 miles) and 300 kilometers (186 miles).
It should launch quickly, navigate at low altitudes, and carry a wide variety of payloads.
Additionally, the drone must remain functional in disrupted, disconnected, low-bandwidth, and GPS-denied environments.
The DIU also requires the Artemis system to be rapidly updatable and upgradable, ensuring it can evolve quickly in response to emerging threats and technological advancements.
“Project Artemis’ goals are directly tied to observations of current real world combat conditions as well as feedback from end users across the DoD on what capabilities may be needed in this space to face near peer threat capabilities around the world,” the agency noted.
It remains unclear how many vendors will advance to the next phase of the program following “aggressive” prototype testing and demonstration scheduled for later this year.
