The US Army has chosen Neros Technologies as one of three principal suppliers for its Purpose-Built Attritable Systems (PBAS) program, which aims to provide small military units with cost-effective, flexible, and combat-ready drones. The California startup will deliver its Archer UAS family and the Flatbow ground control system, marking a breakthrough for the two-year-old company. Under the PBAS framework, Neros will supply 5-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch variants of its Archer drone, which can carry both strike and surveillance payloads. Depending on mission needs, these drones can perform anti-armor or reconnaissance tasks and strike targets more than 20 kilometers away. Their modular design allows for rapid payload swaps, giving ground troops quick access to either kinetic or intelligence capabilities. The company will also field its Flatbow system, a portable control suite resistant to electronic interference, enhancing operational reliability in areas where jamming and spoofing are prevalent. Flatbow expands on the existing Crossbow Ground Control System and ensures soldiers retain command even in heavily contested environments. Neros’ selection stems from over two years of cooperative testing with both Ukrainian and American military units, validating its systems under combat-like conditions. The PBAS program emphasizes attritable drones—affordable yet advanced enough for repeated tactical use without financial strain—reflecting a strategic shift toward scalable unmanned warfare. To support the new contract, Neros has closed a $75 million investment round led by Sequoia Capital, boosting its total funding to more than $120 million. This capital will expand domestic production capacity and secure a non-Chinese supply chain for critical components. The PBAS milestone highlights how emerging American defense startups are transforming modern warfare by developing affordable, software-driven UAS ecosystems. With its Archer and Flatbow systems, Neros now stands at the forefront of the Army’s push toward modular, resilient drone architectures that blend autonomy, rapid deployment, and survivability across future battlefields.
