CACI Wins $500 Million Army Contract for Counter-Drone Systems

CACI Inc. - Federal, a Virginia government-technology contractor, secured a $500 million Army deal to supply counter-unmanned aerial systems, the largest award in the company's history.

First Published: July 30, 2026, 1:25 PM ET

CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA — CACI Inc. – Federal, a Virginia government-technology contractor, won a $500 million Army contract to supply counter-drone systems, the largest award in the company’s history, as announced on war.gov.

The firm-fixed-price, single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity deal covers commercial counter-unmanned aerial systems and counter-small-unmanned aerial systems capabilities drawn from a commercial catalog. Bids were solicited over the internet, and 50 were received. Work locations and funding will be set with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2029.

CACI International Inc, the Reston, Virginia, parent, reported revenue of $7.66 billion in fiscal 2024 and holds a market capitalization near $10.3 billion, according to umbrex.com. The company generates nearly 95% of its annual revenue from U.S. government contracts, with about 65.7% tied to the Department of Defense, according to afsc.org. Founded in 1962, the contractor has expanded from analytic services into cyber, intelligence support, electronic warfare, and mission technology, according to umbrex.com.

The award marks CACI’s first Department of Defense contract of 2026 and lifts its year-to-date total to $500 million, according to war.gov. It stands as the largest contract ever awarded to the company, surpassing a previous record of $20.4 million. The deal was the 14th Department of Defense contract booked in Virginia during 2026 and one of seven awarded nationwide on July 28, 2026.

Counter-drone work has moved to the center of Pentagon spending as small aerial systems reshape modern battlefields. Cheap quadcopters and long-range strike drones have proven able to disable armored vehicles and threaten forward bases, pushing the Army to buy detection and defeat systems at scale. The contract positions CACI to supply hardware and capabilities that commanders can order as threats evolve through the middle of 2029.

The stakes reach beyond a single vendor. Soldiers stand to benefit from layered defenses against hostile drones, while rival contractors competing for the same mission lose ground to an incumbent with deep federal access. Taxpayers carry the cost, capped at $500 million across the life of the ordering vehicle.

For the average reader, the award signals where defense dollars are flowing. Drone threats now touch civilian airspace, border security, and critical infrastructure, and the systems the Army buys often migrate into homeland and law-enforcement use. Purchases of this size shape the technology base that later protects stadiums, airports, and power plants.

This has happened before. CACI has held large national-security contracts for years, including a potential $2.3 billion agreement with Customs and Border Protection for border-enforcement software running from 2019 to September 2024, according to afsc.org. The company also announced a Navy technology contract valued at up to $113 million on July 16, 2026, according to caci.com.

Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal in Michigan will issue individual task orders under the vehicle, identified as W912CH-26-D-A093. A date for the first order has not been announced.

Government contractors have long faced scrutiny alongside their federal awards, as CACI has learned before. Between August 2003 and March 2004, the company received 11 task orders valued at more than $66 million to provide interrogation and intelligence support at U.S. military prisons in Iraq, including Abu Ghraib, according to afsc.org. Iraqi plaintiffs sued in 2008 in Al Shimari v. CACI, and a 2024 trial ended in a mistrial after the jury deadlocked, according to afsc.org. The litigation trailed the company for more than a decade even as its federal business kept growing.

This contract represents the 1st contract awarded to CACI Inc. – Federal, in 2026, bringing the company’s total contract value for the year to $500,000,000. It is also the 14th Department of Defense contract awarded in Virginia during 2026. This is the largest contract ever awarded to CACI Inc. – Federal, surpassing the company’s previous record of $20,412,398, and it is notable within the Army portfolio. Specifically, it falls between the 2026 Army portfolio’s year-to-date minimum of $9,051,490 and maximum of $53,859,843,289. Overall, this award was announced among 7 Department of Defense contracts issued nationwide on July 28, 2026.