Utah based defense company Vector has unveiled the Warfighter’s Stack, an integrated one way attack drone system designed to package an aircraft, arming device, and controller within one operational setup. The system combines Vector’s Mace quadcopter, electronic arming equipment, and Hilt hand controller.

Vector cofounder and chief executive officer Andy Yakulis announced the system on Nov. 2, presenting it as an intuitive platform built with large production runs in mind. The company is pitching an integrated architecture rather than a collection of separate drone components that operators must piece together.

“Modern warfare requires more than individual platforms. It requires systems that work together, operators who can employ them effectively, and the industrial capacity to produce them at the scale the mission demands,” Yakulis said.

The Warfighter’s Stack draws on Vector’s participation in the War Department’s Drone Dominance Program. The competition is intended to rapidly improve and expand the domestic commercial drone industry while helping the Pentagon evaluate manufacturers and identify systems for potential orders.

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Vector ranked fourth in the close quarters battle category during the program’s latest competition round. That placement resulted in a government order for 5,000 Vector drones, giving the company a significant production task as it promotes the new integrated system.

At the center of the stack is the Mace, a compact and attritable quadcopter intended for one way attack missions. Vector described the aircraft as inexpensive and relatively easy to replace, with the maneuverability needed to operate through “confined and complex environments.”

Vector said the Mace includes low light and thermal cameras for operations in demanding visual conditions. The aircraft also features capabilities designed to resist electronic warfare, along with support for fiber optic control when operators require that option.

An altitude hold feature is included to reduce the workload placed on the drone operator. The Mace can also integrate with the Android Team Awareness Kit, commonly identified as ATAK, and supports both ArduPilot and Betaflight piloting firmware.

The system’s arming component is the High-Voltage Electronic Safe and Arm Device, identified by Vector as the HV-ESAD. According to the company, the universal and modular device can integrate with a range of drone platforms and munitions rather than being restricted to the Mace alone.

Vector said the HV-ESAD was selected to support the Drone Dominance Program. Within the Warfighter’s Stack, it provides the link between the aircraft and its energetic integration as part of the broader operational architecture.

“Together, the systems connect the aircraft, energetic integration, and controller into a single operational architecture,” the company said. That integrated approach is the central selling point behind Vector’s announcement, with the Mace, HV-ESAD, and Hilt presented as parts of one ready operational package.

The Hilt serves as the system’s hand controller and was built “around the requirements of the modern warfighter,” according to Vector. Its physical design is intended to accommodate gloved hands and allow troops to use the controller alongside other military equipment.

Yakulis called the Hilt “a purpose-built interface that is rugged, adaptable, and designed to work with the systems they are actually operating.” The controller completes the stack by giving operators an interface tailored to the aircraft and arming components included in the system.

Vector also emphasized manufacturing capacity in its announcement, saying the Warfighter’s Stack was designed from the beginning with production scale in mind. The company said it can “fulfill orders in the thousands,” a claim consistent with its focus on producing attritable drones in substantial quantities.

The company did not provide specific details about contracts or production timelines for the Warfighter’s Stack. For now, Vector’s announcement centers on a unified one way attack drone package and the company’s stated ability to manufacture that package at the scale demanded by military customers.

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