Fortem Technologies Named Prime Contractor on DHS's $1B+ Five-Year Counter-Drone IDIQ

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Fortem Technologies has secured a landmark position in the US homeland security market, being selected as a prime contractor for the US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) five-year Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract.

Fortem reports it is the only small business among the seven companies selected under the contract's Track 1 – Hardware/Software and Ancillary Services, which has an estimated starting ceiling value of USD 1.011 billion. The broader IDIQ programme is significant in scale: the procurement aims to establish a multiple-award IDIQ contract with a maximum ceiling of $1.5 billion to provide C-UAS capabilities that address the evolving threats posed by unauthorised unmanned aircraft systems.

The sought-after contract had 47 vendors vying for a slice of the massive award. Track 1 houses seven hardware, software, and ancillary service providers — including Fortem, D-Fend, and CACI — while another seven vendors providing "comprehensive services" for counter-UAS sit under Track 2, including Anduril, Booz Allen, and GDIT. The only two tech companies in both tracks are Leidos and BAE Systems.

The award means that any DHS component — including Customs and Border Protection, Secret Service, Federal Protective Service, Coast Guard, and others — can now issue task orders directly to Fortem for the company's DroneHunter® autonomous interceptors, TrueView® R40 radars, and SkyDome® command-and-control software.

Fortem's subcontractor roster adds meaningful breadth to its offering. Fortem's subcontracting team includes Lockheed Martin and Microsoft, providing additional electro-optical/infrared, radio frequency, passive radar, and C4 capabilities through the contract vehicle.

The DHS IDIQ win is the latest in a rapid sequence of federal deployments for the Utah-based firm. In February 2026, DHS selected Fortem to help secure venues at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which runs across 16 American cities and represents the single largest planned security operation in US history by venue count. Earlier, the US Army issued a three-year, $18 million contract for Fortem systems at Army locations worldwide. Fortem Technologies is also part of a Parsons-led consortium selected by the US Air Force to design, mature, procure, integrate, operate, and maintain Air Base Air Defense (ABAD) systems across the European and African continent areas of responsibility for US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa.

The track record of real-world deployments appears to have been a decisive factor. Track 1 contractors will provide the physical components and software for DHS to test and operate, as well as the necessary training, maintenance, installation, customisation, and support for the counter-UAS tools.

Technical Breakdown

Platform / System Family: Fortem SkyDome® Family of Systems — a fully integrated, end-to-end C-UAS architecture.

DroneHunter® 5.0 (Autonomous Interceptor) The DroneHunter counter-UAS is an AI-based kinetic, non-lethal interceptor drone developed by Fortem Technologies. The fifth-generation DroneHunter features dual onboard cameras and enhanced onboard computing power that enable autonomous engagement of multiple targets, even in complex or contested environments. DroneHunter 5.0 is designed for low-collateral counter-UAS operations across both military and civilian environments; its patented entanglement-based capture system enables the safe interception, transport, and controlled drop-off of hostile or unauthorised drones.

Two net-capture modes address different threat classes: "tether nets" are used to ensnare smaller Group-1 drones and tow them to a safe landing zone, while larger, heavier drones are captured by a DrogueNet® — a net connected to a parachute to ensure safe landing.

Counter-Swarm Capability: The latest model integrates with Fortem's SkyDome® command-and-control system, which can now coordinate up to five DroneHunter 5.0 interceptors against five simultaneous threats. This manned-unmanned teaming architecture is designed to scale in response to increasingly coordinated drone tactics.

TrueView® Radar Family: The TrueView sensor line employs high-performance Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for dependable drone defence. TrueView radars see environments in three dimensions and are networked together to form a "dome" of awareness; moments after an unfamiliar drone enters the dome, it is detected, located, classified, and presented on-screen for personnel. The DHS IDIQ specifically lists the TrueView® R40 as the radar variant available to ordering components.

SkyDome® Manager (C2 Software): SkyDome® Manager is purpose-built C-UAS command-and-control software that delivers 3D airspace awareness and detection, tracking, and mitigation of drone threats; it functions as an end-to-end sensor correlation platform integrating radar, long-range cameras, RF sensors, and drone mitigation systems. An AI risk assessment engine evaluates threats, assigns threat levels, and escalates responses in real time, with operators able to require human-in-the-loop authorisation or enable fully autonomous responses.

Autonomy Level: High — DroneHunter performs completely autonomously from queuing through launch, intercept, and capture of threat drones, depositing them in a designated safe drop zone before landing.

Integration: Fully integrated with the Army's Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system, DroneHunter successfully accepts command and engagement orders. The SkyDome Manager also exports track API values to external C2 platforms.

Industry Impact

For Manufacturers and Integrators: The structure of this IDIQ — a multiple-award vehicle with both hardware/software and comprehensive services tracks — signals that DHS is deliberately building competitive redundancy across its counter-UAS supply chain rather than consolidating on a single vendor. The contract aims to provide DHS components with C-UAS capabilities for detection, tracking, identification, and mitigation of UAS threats in various environments, including fixed locations, mobile response, aviation, and maritime operations. For Fortem specifically, the contract validates a platform-integration approach: bundling detect, track, and defeat capabilities in one certified vehicle removes a significant procurement friction point for DHS component buyers.

The Lockheed Martin–Microsoft subcontracting structure is also notable. It allows a small business prime to offer enterprise-grade EO/IR, RF, passive radar, and C4 stack without carrying the full development burden, a teaming model other C-UAS challengers may seek to replicate.

For Operators and Government Customers: DHS expects to spend more on the hardware and software group, which has an estimated ceiling of just over $1 billion. The IDIQ architecture means individual agencies — CBP for border surveillance, the Secret Service for protective details, the Coast Guard for maritime approaches — each gains a streamlined path to task orders without running separate competitive procurements for every deployment.

For the Broader C-UAS Market: The 47-bidder competition that produced only 14 awardees across both tracks signals a maturing, consolidating market. Fortem's November 2025 inclusion in the Army's Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate Marketplace — a fast-track contracting vehicle — combined with this DHS IDIQ, means the company now holds simultaneous rapid-procurement on-ramps across two major federal departments. That dual positioning creates a compounding order pipeline that smaller C-UAS rivals will find difficult to replicate without comparable field-proven deployments.

For Investors: Five-year IDIQ vehicles with room-to-grow language are treated by growth-stage investors as revenue-visibility milestones. Fortem's accumulation of multiple large-vehicle positions — DHS C-UAS IDIQ, Army GTEAD Marketplace, US Air Force ABAD consortium, FIFA World Cup deployment — substantially de-risks its near-term revenue outlook and strengthens the case for a potential capital raise or strategic transaction.