Agilis Air, a defence startup based in Ohio, has begun pre-manufacturing affordable unmanned aerial systems in an effort to close a critical supply shortfall as US military drone requirements accelerate.
The company said it will pre-produce 55 Remora drones—lightweight, modular platforms optimized for rapid fielding—supported by grant funding from the YBI ENGINE Tech Incubator, the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense, and the federally funded YBI Rising Tides Initiative.
Leveraging 3D-printed structures and US-sourced components, Agilis Air is compressing production timelines, enabling delivery of operational systems in days rather than months.
According to the company, this model aligns with the Pentagon’s anticipated 2026 drone mandate, which could push demand to roughly 1,000 drones per month and more than 10,000 units annually, significantly outstripping current production levels and pricing thresholds.
The Remora system is engineered to meet Department of Defense targets for a sub-$2,000 unit cost and rapid production scale, in contrast to the prevailing small-drone market, where prices average around $7,000 with lead times stretching up to three months. The initiative also supports broader efforts to strengthen domestic defence supply chains.
The move comes as US defence procurement increasingly favors agile startups. In March 2025, the Defense Innovation Unit selected AeroVironment, Dragoon Technology LLC, Swan, and Auterion to develop prototypes of long-range, one-way unmanned systems under the Artemis program.
Beyond hardware, autonomy is also a growing focus. Last month, the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Palladyne AI a contract to advance swarming and integrated autonomy capabilities via its SwarmOS platform, enabling coordinated operations among autonomous air, maritime, and space systems.
