TDRS

Name

TDRS

Legal name

TDRS LLC

Website

https://tdrsllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Counter-UAS Target Aircraft & Drones

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) & Multirotor Drones (IMABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft (UAV) (IMABAIAB), VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC)

Keywords

• Counter-UAS target aircraft
• Autonomous aerial solutions
• Drone target emulation
• C-sUAS testing services
• Military drone systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Target Aircraft and Drone Sales: Sale of Group 1, 2, and 3 target aircraft and drones for C-sUAS testing, exercises, and operations. The company produces thousands of drones for government and commercial customers. Products include expendable target drones that emulate enemy aircraft.
2. C-sUAS Services and Operational Support: Professional services including drone operations, pilot support, programming, and crew services for C-sUAS exercises and demonstrations. TDRS has conducted thousands of sorties for counter-UAS training exercises.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

TDRS designs, manufactures, and operates expendable and reusable C-sUAS target aircraft and drones (Twin Hawk, Twin Hawk Turbine, TDRS Flanker, rotary, VTOL, and multi-power variants) used to emulate foreign-manufactured adversary drones such as the Iranian Shahed 136, Russian ZALA, and Iranian Mojager-6. The company also provides operational support services, including flight crews, pilots, programmers, and crew members, for counter-UAS exercises and demonstrations at U.S. military proving grounds.

Product overview

TDRS is a mission-focused systems and services company with 19 years of experience delivering autonomous aerial solutions for military flight operations and counter-UAS missions. The company operates as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (established June 2007) and provides a portfolio of target aircraft and drones for C-sUAS testing and demonstrations. The product lineup includes fixed-wing target aircraft (Twin Hawk, Twin Hawk Turbine, TDRS Flanker), rotary aircraft, and VTOL fixed-wing drones across Group 1, 2, and 3 categories, available in turbine, gasoline, and electric power options. TDRS specializes in realistic emulations of enemy aircraft and drones, including specific foreign drone emulations such as the Shahed 136 (Iranian kamikaze drone), Russian ZALA, and Orlan-6. The company conducts C-sUAS tracking operations supporting both kinetic and electronic countermeasures. Beyond defense applications, TDRS extends its aerial capabilities to commercial sectors including oil and gas, agriculture, law enforcement, real estate, wide-area security, and inspections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TDRS Flanker Expendable C-sUAS target drone designed to emulate the Iranian Shahed 136 kamikaze drone, with similar visual appearance, relative size, and speed-matching capability, used for counter-UAS testing, exercises, and operations.
• Twin Hawk Fixed-wing C-sUAS target aircraft used for simulating adversary drones during counter-UAS testing and demonstrations.
• Twin Hawk Turbine Turbine-powered variant of the Twin Hawk fixed-wing C-sUAS target aircraft, providing higher speed and endurance for simulating adversary drone threats.
• Rotary Aircraft Drones Group 1, 2, and 3 rotary-wing target aircraft for simulating adversary drones during C-sUAS exercises and demonstrations.
• VTOL Fixed Wing Drones Vertical Take-Off and Landing fixed-wing target aircraft providing flexible launch and recovery capabilities for C-sUAS testing scenarios.
• Multi-Power Platform Drones Turbine, gasoline, and electric-powered Group 1, 2, and 3 target drones providing multiple propulsion options to address varying threat profiles, endurance requirements, and operating scenarios in C-sUAS testing environments.
• C-sUAS Operational Support Services Professional services including drone operations, expert pilots, programmers, and crew members for C-sUAS exercises and demonstrations at military proving grounds and training centers, with thousands of sorties flown to date.
• Foreign Drone Emulation Services Emulation services grounded in TRADOC G2 Worldwide Equipment Guide and TRADOC DCSINT ODIN data to select and supply target drones that match the characteristics, shape, and performance of foreign-manufactured threats, including prior emulations of the Russian ZALA, Iranian Orlan-6, and Iranian Mojager-6.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of Group 1, 2, and 3 drones produced for government and C-UAS customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: Major defense prime supplying UAS, range instrumentation, and C-sUAS-related systems. Comparable in that it participates in the broader DoD C-sUAS training and test ecosystem, though it is not a direct target drone competitor.
• Lockheed Martin: Large defense prime with C-sUAS and counter-drone programs across multiple services. Indirectly comparable as a potential integrator or prime that could absorb target drone work currently captured by small businesses like TDRS.
• Northrop Grumman: Producer of legacy target drone systems such as the BQM-74 Chukar across multiple DoD ranges. Operates as a broader defense prime with significantly greater resources than TDRS, but historically the closest analog for high-volume aerial target supply.
• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems: Major producer of larger UAS (MQ-1, MQ-9 series) and adjacent C-sUAS effects. Not a direct target drone peer, but competes for adjacent DoD UAS budget and partner capacity on range integration work.

Emerging players

• Epirus: Developer of high-power microwave counter-electronics for C-UAS. Operates on the demand side of TDRS's customer base, since its counter-UAS systems are tested and validated against realistic drone targets of the kind TDRS produces.
• Fortem Technologies: Counter-UAS provider offering detection and interdiction solutions. Comparable as an emerging C-sUAS ecosystem participant whose effector testing relies on the type of realistic UAS targets TDRS supplies to DoD ranges.
• DroneShield: Specialist in C-UAS detection and soft-kill systems. Adjacent to TDRS as part of the same C-sUAS mission set, since DroneShield's effectors need realistic drone targets like those TDRS provides for testing and validation.

Direct peers

• Textron Systems: Manufactures target UAS such as the Buster for DoD and allied customers, directly competing with TDRS for C-sUAS range and test contracts while also offering broader unmanned systems and C-sUAS effector capabilities.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Established manufacturer of high-performance target drones including the BQM-167 Air Snark and BQM-177, serving the same DoD test and training ranges as TDRS. Directly comparable as a target UAS prime with a much larger production base.
• Anduril Industries (Area-I): Through its Area-I acquisition, Anduril develops small UAS and target drone platforms for DoD test and C-sUAS applications. Competes with TDRS in the small/Group 1-3 UAS target market, while also fielding counter-UAS effectors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tdrs-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TDRS