Through its Tactical Technology Office (TTO), DARPA wants to move drones to the next level with its Lift Challenge – a US$6.5-million competition aimed at creating small drones capable of lifting payloads four times their weight.
Drones have been big news in military and civilian aerospace circles for well over a decade. These small, semi-autonomous uncrewed aircraft that can be deployed in swarms in areas previously unsuitable for flying machines are not only promising to revolutionize war and peace, they are already doing so.
The problem is that small drones, for all their advantages, have some serious flaws. Not the least of these is that your average rotorcraft can't manage to lift a payload that weighs more than itself. This 1:1 payload-to-weight ratio is actually pretty good when you compare it to many conventional transport aircraft that have a ratio of 1:3 or a payload one-third of the aircraft weight. But in a small drone even 1:1 isn't good enough.
What DARPA wants to do is boost the ratio by a radical order of magnitude with a rotorcraft that can lift a payload four times its own weight. It's a goal that the agency regards as plausible and to prove this, it has announced off its Lift Challenge to spur development.
The requirements are simple. Competitors must produce a drone with a mass of less than 55 lb (25 kg) that must comply with FAA regulations. This drone has to be able to lift a minimum payload of 110 lb (50 kg) in the form of cast iron Olympic barbell gym plates that will be provided by DARPA to ensure uniformity.
The drone must be able to maintain a consistent cruising altitude of 350 ft +/- 50 ft (106.68 m +/- 15.24 m) above ground level while loaded. Once in the air, the drone must fly a designated course over a distance of five nautical miles (9 km). After flying four nautical miles, the drone must hover and land its cargo in a designated zone without dropping it, then fly a final mile before executing a vertical landing inside a 10-ft (3-m) circle.
Success will be based on completing the course, with a tie being settled on the basis of the fastest drone. If the competitor can only carry a payload below the 4:1 ratio, the prize awarded will be halved.
Sounds simple.
The $6.5-million prize will be split into first, second, and third, with allotments of $2.5 million, $1.5 million, and $1 million. Additional prizes will be awarded for Most Revolutionary Aerodynamic Design ($500,000), Most Revolutionary Powertrain Design ($500,000), and Most Promising Design ($500,000).
"DARPA recognizes the best solutions often come from unexpected places," said Phillip Smith, DARPA Lift Challenge program manager. “We’ve deliberately created an open design challenge format to encourage out of the box thinking.
"The Lift Challenge isn’t just about building better UAS; it’s about securing America’s leadership in UAS technology for decades to come. We’re setting ambitious goals and giving everyone a chance to compete to create new capabilities, accelerate our defense industrial base, and give the U.S. a strategic advantage."
Registration will be open between January and May 2026.
Source: DARPA
