U.S. Army buys mystery drones from little-known Integrate DG

The U.S. Army just bought a small fleet of drones from a company most people have never heard of, and interestingly, only one company even bothered to bid for the job.

The Army awarded Integrate DG LLC a contract worth up to $27.8 million to supply its Alphawing drone system, along with support gear and the technicians needed to keep it running in the field. The Department of War posted the award this week.

When the Army opens up a contract for bidding, it usually draws interest from multiple companies competing for the work. This one didn’t. The Army solicited bids over the internet and got exactly one response, from Integrate DG itself. That’s not necessarily unusual for a specialized, niche system, but it does mean the Army wasn’t choosing between competing options.

Integrate DG is based in Stamford, Connecticut, though the company describes itself as an international operation, with offices spread across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, France and Germany. The company positions itself as a defense engineering firm that builds autonomous systems for both air and sea, working with governments to move new drone technology from early prototypes into real, deployable hardware quickly.

Alphawing is one part of a broader lineup of unmanned systems the company has developed, according to Integrate DG. The company says its focus areas include long-endurance missions, maritime surveillance and secure communications relays for military use, though the Army has not released technical specifications for the specific Alphawing variant it’s buying under this contract.

The deal is structured as an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract, a common Pentagon tool that sets a ceiling price and lets the Army order equipment as needed over time rather than committing to a fixed quantity up front. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is overseeing the contract, which is expected to wrap up by October 30, 2026, a relatively tight timeline of just a few months.

The Army hasn’t said how many Alphawing systems it plans to order, which units will get them, or what missions the drones are intended to support.