DARPA Seeks Autonomous Containerized Drone Swarm Constellations of Up to 500 UAVs

DARPA's Tactical Technology Office issued a Request for Information for fully autonomous containerized systems capable of storing, launching, recovering, recharging, and managing networked drone swarms of up to 500 UAVs as self-sustaining 'autonomous constellations.' The containers must support Group 1-3 UAVs (up to 1,320 lb, up to 18,000 ft altitude, 250 kt speed) and fit standard military transport formats (CONEX, 463L pallets, Tricon, ISU containers). DARPA cites Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb and Israel's near-field attacks from within Iran as real-world proof-of-concept. Each container must be self-sufficient with energy storage, communications suites, and onboard compute. The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit issued a similar solicitation earlier in 2026.