1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) · Best Drone Team Competition

Get your system in front of the people who field it.

Watchtower gets you in the room with the warfighters your system is built for, plus the investors and program offices around them. Every approved vendor gets the warfighters' Government-approved feedback, and time on the open range depends on your tier.

Apply to participate →Applications close July 13, 2026

Dates

August 26 to 28, 2026

Location

Clarke Range, Fort McClellan, AL

Access

Invite only

Eligibility

TRL 5+ / U.S. eligible

01What this is

Real time with the people who would use it.

The Best Drone Team Competition is a USSOCOM event where the Army special operations teams compete directly against each other.

You take part as a vendor, so the warfighters spend time with your system and give you their Government-approved feedback, and depending on your tier you get range time to demonstrate it.

Special operations team operating a drone in the field

The warfighters try your system and tell you what they think.

02Participation

What you get on site.

Exhibit space

A place on the floor near the special operations teams and the program offices invited to observe.

A hands-on day

The special operations teams work with your system and tell you how it performs when they pick it up.

Feedback in writing

After the event you receive the warfighters' Government-approved assessment of your system.

Range time

A window on the open range to demonstrate your system, depending on your tier.

You cover your own travel, lodging, and shipping.

03The audience

Who you get in front of.

The real value is the room. You reach the special operations teams, the investors backing companies in the national interest, and the program offices invited to observe.

Confirmed on site

SOF Ventures and the Private Capital Investor Cohort

The investors backing companies building in the national interest, on site with you for the duration of the event.

Program offices invited to observe

01Defense Autonomous Working Group (DAWG)
02Purpose Built Attritable System (PBAS)
03Drone Dominance
04Program Executive Office, SOF Warrior (PEO SOF Warrior)
05Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI)

Offices listed are invited. Participation does not imply Government endorsement.

Warfighters from every Special Forces group take the field.

70+

Participants

Warfighters from across every Special Forces group.

15+

Teams competing

Teams on realistic mission lanes.

100%

Groups represented

Every Special Forces group is in the field.

Think your system belongs here?

Apply to participate →

Warfighter flying a drone with FPV goggles

The competition runs a full week. Vendors are on site for three days of it.

04Event details

What to know before you apply.

Schedule

Sun · Aug 23Travel and in-processingMilitary

Mon · Aug 24Competition lanesMilitary

Tue · Aug 25Competition lanesMilitary

Wed · Aug 26Vendor arrival, setup, and demonstrationVendors

Thu · Aug 27Vendor flights and feedbackVendors

Fri · Aug 28Open rangeOpen range

Sat · Aug 29After-action and awardsMilitary

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Venue

Clarke Range, Fort McClellan, AL.

Who can apply

Companies eligible to do business with the U.S. Government, at Technology Readiness Level 5 or higher, and NDAA Section 848 compliant.

Application deadline

July 13, 2026.

Base access

Companies selected to participate receive base-access instructions and further details after selection.

How selection works

Watchtower presents you to the Government.

Apply

Submit your company and your system. There is no fee to apply.

We review and present

Watchtower checks every application against the approved criteria and presents qualified companies for final review.

The Government decides

Final approval rests with the U.S. Government, based on mission fit and the Government's safety and security requirements.

Screening is neutral and carries no procurement preference or endorsement.

About Watchtower →

05Answers

Questions vendors ask.

Will I be participating in the competition?

No. The competition is between the special operations teams, and your equipment is not what they use in it. As a vendor, you apply to be at the event to put your system in front of the people who would use and fund it.

Who can apply?

Companies that can do business with the U.S. Government, at Technology Readiness Level 5 or higher and NDAA Section 848 compliant.

When can vendors take part?

Approved industry participants are on site August 26 to 28, 2026. The wider competition runs across late August, and the other days are reserved for military activities.

When do applications close?

July 13, 2026.

What does participation cost?

There is no fee to apply, and you are charged the package fee only after your participation is approved. You cover your own travel, lodging, equipment, and shipping.

How are participants selected?

Watchtower reviews every application against the approved criteria and presents qualified companies to the Government. Final approval rests with the Government, based on mission fit, safety, and security. Screening is neutral and confers no procurement preference or endorsement.

How does base access work?

Companies selected to participate receive base-access instructions and further details after selection. Access to the installation is separately credentialed and security-gated.

Is this a procurement or a sales event?

Neither. It is a field event held under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Participation does not imply endorsement, source selection, or any future acquisition commitment by the Government.

Who do we contact?

Reach the Watchtower team at drone@watchtowerus.org.