U.S. Air Force ‘Game Of Drones’ Invites Industry To Spar In War Games

BusinessAerospace & DefenseU.S. Air Force ‘Game Of Drones’ Invites Industry To Spar In War GamesByZita Ballinger Fletcher,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zita Ballinger Fletcher is a defense technology reporterFollow AuthorMay 17, 2026, 07:43pm EDTMay 17, 2026, 07:45pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.A U.S. soldier playing the role of an adversary pilots an ADM4 surveillance drone in a war game in Germany in April 2026. The U.S. Air Force's Game of Drones initiative allows private industry to test their technology in war games with military experts at Edwards Air Force Base in California. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)Getty ImagesPrivate companies creating drone and counter-drone technology can now take part in regular drone war game exercises hosted by the U.S. Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Unveiled last December, the new initiative called “Game of Drones” will recur in coming months with different themes and opportunities to test diverse drone tactics.To participate, companies simply need ideas for military drone use and a willingness to collaborate with leading Air Force experts in developmental flight testing and technology.A New Type Of ContestCol. Dustin Thomas, DCMA Special Programs Unmanned Systems-Experimental commander, and Marine Corps Col. Timothy Hough, commander of DCMA's Special Programs Command, watch a drone deliver the unit colors during US-X’s establishment ceremony at Edwards Air Force Base, California in September 2025. (Air Force photo by Lindsey Iniguez, 412th Test Wing Public Affairs)U.S. Air ForceWhile the competition complements the Pentagon’s efforts to rapidly integrate and scale drone technology across U.S. military branches, it is markedly different from the Drone Dominance program that sees companies compete in gauntlets, according to U.S. Air Force Col. Dust...