The Defense Innovation Unit is recruiting service members with first person view drone experience for the War Department’s Drone Dominance program. The search reaches across the military services as officials prepare for the program’s next phase.

The $1.1 billion program is the Pentagon’s effort to rapidly expand the domestic drone industry. Companies submit small unmanned aircraft systems for competition, and the systems that perform best can be stockpiled for military use.

Erin Cherry, the program’s test lead, told Military Times by email that DIU wants to recruit about 100 pilots for Gauntlet III. That phase represents the next step in the Drone Dominance program.

The immediate recruiting goal is only part of the plan. DIU also wants to establish a standing registry of drone operators drawn from across the military services.

“There’s no cap on the registry,” Cherry said. “We want to hear from any warfighter with FPV experience.”

Image Credit: DoW

Service members selected to participate will receive time operating some of the newest drones under consideration. That includes systems that have not yet entered military service.

Some participants will also receive specialized training involving one way attack drones. The opportunity places military drone pilots directly inside the process used to evaluate competing systems.

Cherry said the pilots will play an important role because Gauntlet results heavily influence which systems advance through the program. “Most importantly, Gauntlet results strongly inform which systems move forward, and these pilots are the ones flying,” she said.

The DIU announcement specifically requests troops who have experience flying first person view drones. These aircraft are typically controlled manually in what is called “acro” mode.

According to the announcement, first person view drones can support missions ranging from reconnaissance and surveillance to kamikaze attacks and close quarters combat. That range of uses is one reason DIU is examining several kinds of operator experience.

Cherry said the unit is interested in more than applicants who simply identify themselves as experienced first person view pilots. Officials plan to consider different abilities separately when reviewing interested service members.

Image Credit: DoW

“‘Pilot skill’ isn’t just one thing,” she said. “Flying ability, tactical knowledge, payload experience, and specialized skills like long-distance navigation and urban flight are all distinct, so we look at each one.”

That variety matters because the drones selected through the program are ultimately intended for use by more than the military’s most experienced operators. Performance must therefore be examined with pilots carrying different levels and types of experience.

“A drone that only performs well in an expert’s hands isn’t ready for the force,” Cherry said. Her statement reflects the program’s interest in evaluating whether systems can perform beyond a narrow group of expert operators.

DIU is not limiting outreach to troops with many years behind the controls. Cherry said that “whether someone has been flying FPV for five years or five months, we want to hear from them.”

Interested service members are being directed to complete a Pilot Interest Form. Officials will respond only to applicants using a valid .mil email address, and participation will be coordinated through each applicant’s military service.

The process gives selected troops access to emerging drone systems while placing their flying experience at the center of Gauntlet III. Their performance will help inform which competing systems move forward as the Pentagon builds military stockpiles.