Pentagon and Kaizen Launch C-UAS Marketplace to Speed Purchase of Counter-Drone Systems

The Pentagon's counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) task force and software firm Kaizen Laboratories have launched an online marketplace to help military, federal and law-enforcement users discover, compare and acquire validated counter-drone technologies.

What the Marketplace Does

The Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Marketplace catalogs vetted products — from kinetic interceptors to electronic jammers — and lets authorized users search by requirements, review performance data, compare capabilities and submit purchase requests directly through the platform. The site also includes a library of procurement forms and permits and a planning tool that produces AI-generated recommendations "across all aspects of the kill chain."

How It Was Built

Kaizen Laboratories was awarded a $15 million contract by Joint Interagency Task Force-401 (JIATF-401) in May to build and operate the platform. Company and task-force officials say the enhanced platform was developed from a blank slate in under nine weeks and went live roughly two weeks ago.

Why Officials Say This Matters

Defense leaders and industry partners argue that traditional acquisition paths are often slow, fragmented and difficult for front-line users to navigate. Kaizen CEO Nikhil Reddy described existing application-layer tools that discover, evaluate and procure systems as "broken" and behind the pace of evolving threats, adding that delays can cost operators time and, in some cases, lives.

"Drones are a defining threat of our time," said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. "The proliferation of small systems ... requires us to move faster in this space."

Context and Need

The platform launch reflects lessons from recent conflicts where inexpensive unmanned systems have been used at scale. U.S. and allied forces expended large numbers of costly munitions to shoot down Iranian Shahed attack drones, and Iranian drone and missile strikes in the region have caused both infrastructure damage and casualties — including reports that six U.S. soldiers were killed in a drone attack in Kuwait during the opening days of the conflict. The wide use of drones in Russia's invasion of Ukraine likewise highlights demand for layered, lower-cost defenses that can counter massed, inexpensive aerial threats.

Vendors, Partners and Next Steps

Several approved vendors, including Anduril and AeroVironment, have already listed products on the marketplace. Future vendors may submit product information to the task force for review and approval. The platform will be made available to U.S. partners and allied forces, and JIATF-401 says it plans to continue adding vendors and features to speed discovery and fielding of counter-UAS capabilities.

How It Compares to Ukraine's Brave1 Market

The C-UAS Marketplace is similar in function to Ukraine's Brave1 Market, an Amazon-style combat-technology platform where local manufacturers list products and Ukrainian units can buy equipment and leave reviews. Ukrainian officials say Brave1 reduced average delivery times for in-stock items to about eight days for front-line units.

Officials present the C-UAS Marketplace as a streamlined, vetted pathway to get validated counter-drone systems into the hands of operators faster and with clearer performance and cost data.