What happened
Australia has become the first US ally to make a purchase on the US military's new drone marketplace website. The purchase was made about 10 days ago, according to Army officials. The drone marketplace, which was launched earlier this year, allows unit leaders to place orders directly on the website from approved vendors that meet US military requirements.
The purchase process for foreign militaries is similar to traditional military arms sales, but the US is working to streamline it. The process typically takes around two weeks, from the time the order is placed to the time funding is received and delivery is arranged. The US has signed agreements with over a dozen countries to participate in the marketplace.
The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has announced over $4 billion in new contracts to support the marketplace and counter-drone defense strategy. The contracts were awarded to several companies, including Alien Control Systems, Inc, Digital Force Technology, LLC, and DroneShield, LCC. The task force is leading the Pentagon's homeland counter-drone defense strategy and is working to connect producers with customers to meet the demand for counter-drone capabilities.
