The battlefield has changed faster in the past three years than in the previous three decades. Low-cost drones are destroying high-value assets, compressing decision timelines, and reshaping how militaries think about reconnaissance and strike.

At the same time, the United States faces a structural vulnerability. China controls roughly 90 percent of the global commercial drone market and remains embedded in critical component supply chains. Ensuring U.S. drone dominance will depend on more than technical performance—It will require trusted manufacturing, secure systems, and resilient supply.

To lead the global arms race for uncrewed systems, the U.S. must pair advanced capability with a hardened domestic industrial base. Redwire’s Stalker uncrewed aerial system (UAS) sits at the intersection of both.

A Combat-Proven Group 2 UAS Built for the Modern Battlefield

Stalker is a long-endurance, fixed-wing, VTOL Group 2 UAS designed for a variety of mission use cases, including extended reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition (RSTA), droppable munitions, and more. With hundreds of thousands of operational flight hours across six continents, Stalker has performed in extreme heat, arctic cold, rain, snow, and high winds. It has a small logistical footprint, enabling units to deploy quickly, and a silent acoustic signature giving the warfighter a situational advantage.

As operational concepts evolve toward distributed formations and long-range reconnaissance, smaller, long-endurance, VTOL systems like Stalker are increasingly taking on roles once reserved for larger aircraft. The result is actionable intelligence at lower cost, reduced risk, and greater operational flexibility.

Strengthening the U.S. Drone Industrial Base

Advanced capability alone is not enough. Trusted manufacturing is now a strategic requirement.

With a vertically integrated supply chain, Redwire manufactures Stalker in the United States at facilities in California, Alabama, and Michigan supporting design, production, and sustainment. Domestic production reduces supply chain risk, accelerates delivery timelines, and aligns with federal efforts to rebuild a secure U.S. drone industrial base.

Stalker is listed on the DIU’s Blue UAS Cleared List, confirming compliance with Department of War cybersecurity, data protection, and operational reliability standards. For government customers, that designation simplifies procurement and supports Authority to Operate requirements, removing friction from acquisition pathways.

From Contract Award to Fielded Capability

Demand for scalable, long-range reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) is accelerating. The Army Aviation Center of Excellence selected Stalker to support UAS training at Fort Rucker and Fort Huachuca, preparing soldiers to operate advanced uncrewed systems in contested environments. This follows the Army’s announcement that Redwire was awarded a contract to deliver Stalker systems for its long-range reconnaissance (LRR) program.

The Army has also awarded Redwire a contract to deliver Stalker systems for its LRR program, reinforcing the system’s role in enabling deep sensing and distributed operations.

Senior defense leaders have made the objective clear. The United States intends to field tens of thousands of small drones in the near term, and hundreds of thousands shortly thereafter. Meeting that demand requires more than prototypes. It requires mature, fielded systems backed by secure manufacturing at scale.

Delivering Capability and Capacity

Drone dominance will be defined by two factors: capability on the battlefield and capacity at home.

Stalker represents both. It is combat proven, operationally flexible, DIU Blue UAS vetted, and manufactured in the United States. As the Department of War accelerates uncrewed adoption, platforms that combine endurance, expeditionary deployment, and secure domestic production will form the backbone of America’s next-generation RSTA architecture.

To learn more about the Stalker UAS and its role in advancing long-range reconnaissance and multi-mission adaptability, visit Redwire’s UAS page.