Army Hosts International Signing Ceremony for UAS and Counter-UAS Marketplaces at AUSA 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Army hosted senior defense leaders and international delegates from eight partner nations for a formal signing ceremony, further expanding allied access to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS Marketplaces at the 2026 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition today at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Acting Secretary of the Army Hon. Adam R. Telle hosted the event alongside the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Hon. Brent G. Ingraham, and President and CEO of AUSA Gen. (Ret.) Robert B. Brown.

Partner representatives from Albania, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Japan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Panama, including defense ministers and general officers, joined U.S. leaders on stage to formalize their participation through signing Statements of Intent (SOIs).

The signing solidified increasing multinational commitments to participate in two secure U.S. Army online platforms - one dedicated to UAS and one to Counter-UAS capabilities.

"Today's Statement of Intent signing marks a critical milestone in transforming warfighting procurement at the speed of business," said Acting Secretary Telle. "These digital marketplaces tear down legacy bureaucratic barriers and help rapidly equip our Soldiers with every competitive advantage to remain the most lethal and capable fighting force the world has ever seen. We are building open architecture at the tactical systems level and open architecture at the strategic national level. By bringing our allies and partners onto a unified, online purchasing platform, we are delivering lethal, decisive capability at scale while strengthening the collective defense industrial base."

Through a streamlined procurement pathway known as the "FMS Fast Lane," partner nations can order pre-cleared, standard-configuration drone and counter-drone systems directly through pre-established contracts. By proactively completing key exportability requirements (including technology transfer approvals, marketing licenses, and foreign disclosure clearances) the Army compressed traditional FMS case development timelines from months down to days.

"Our mission with the UAS and Counter-UAS Marketplaces is simple: deliver commercial agility within an accountable, government-to-government framework," said Hon. Ingraham. "With standardized auto-generated Letters of Offer and Acceptance and pre-negotiated contract vehicles, allied partners can now move from request to purchase in days rather than months."

This ceremony built upon momentum established in June 2026 at the Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris, where the Army signed initial SOIs with nine European partners (Denmark, France, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom). Since then, 29 partners across the Indo-Pacific, European, Central, and American commands have joined the marketplace framework.

The following partners are currently signatories of the marketplaces:

• Albania
• Argentina
• Australia
• Canada
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Egypt
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Italy
• Japan
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Panama
• Poland
• Romania
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom