‘Game of Drones’ goes underground

'Game of Drones' goes underground

By Jason Kaneshiro Operational Business Center Public Affairs

From 3D-printed systems to platforms that can mimic birds in both shape and flight characteristics, drones are quickly evolving in form and function. In the most recent "Game of Drones," held Sept. 14-18, autonomous platforms were tested in a new environment: underground.

The demonstration sent drones with fiberoptic wire through service tunnels at a site on Edwards Air Force Base. The service tunnels were dark, dusty and narrow with hard-right angles.

The tunnel tests were meant to showcase the capability of wired drones to navigate a dark underground tunnel in a radio frequency-denied environment, said Lance Alix, a general engineer with Defense Contract Management Agency's Special Programs Unmanned Systems.

"This novel environment offered significant challenges from an operational standpoint including limited visibility, tight corridors and signal loss," Alix said. "Attendees were interested in observing the live demonstration and successful tests showcasing the tools and systems utilized to adapt to these environmental challenges."

Overcoming these operational challenges showcased the adaptability and functionality of these types of low-cost drones in a real-world scenario, Alix said.

Alix and Air Force Maj. Mark Eisenhuth, integration cell lead with DCMA Special Programs, volunteered as assessors for the tunnel demonstration and worked closely with the Air Force 412th Test Wing's Experimental Test Force and the vendors that participated in the event. This included collecting technical, safety and logistics information from the vendors.

"During the event, we captured operational test data, user feedback, and observations on drone performance and capabilities," Alix said.

Innovative and adaptive warfare depends on reliable tests, and "Game of Drones" is used to determine how testing should work in the new paradigm of drone warfare.

The "Game of Drones" event was founded and is sponsored by the DCMA Blue List team and is run in cooperation with other agencies including the Air Force 412th Wing's ETF and the Griffiss Institute, a not-for-profit organization, which serves as an intermediary to federal service laboratories and American industry.

"I think it's amazing that we, at DCMA, are able to have a significant role in an event like this - to collaborate with U.S. military personnel, foreign partners, UAS industry professionals, and other stakeholders in support of the Drone Dominance initiative," Alix said. "Running an event like this is not easy, considering safety, logistics and data collection. So, it's great that DCMA has a part in helping the ETF run a successful event."

The Blue List is an aggregated list of compliant unmanned systems and components approved for purchase and operation by the War Department. The Blue List was transferred to DCMA from the Defense Innovation Unit in 2025 and takes a holistic approach to continuously and rapidly vet commercial UAS technology for the department.

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