As military missions become more complicated, warfighters need more capable drones to use across diverse scenarios. The same also applies to civilian applications, like infrastructure inspection, package delivery, and disaster response.
Current multirotor drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), provide simplicity, affordability, and ease of operation; however, their primary limitation is their low payload-to-weight ratio, which typically falls at 1:1 or less.
The DARPA Lift Challenge aims to shatter the heavy lift bottleneck, seeking novel drone designs that can carry payloads more than four times their weight, which would revolutionize the way we use drones across all sectors.
By offering $6.5 million in prize money, the Lift Challenge seeks to incentivize university researchers, independent innovators and industry to set a new standard in vertical lift performance.
Registration
Registration is tentatively scheduled to open on Jan. 5, 2026, and close May 1, 2026. DARPA will share more details here later this fall. For those interested in staying informed about the competition, visit the following link to sign up for email updates.
Details
The DARPA Lift Challenge taps into the core of American innovation: the ‘garage inventor’ spirit. Competitors must create an aircraft that is both lightweight and powerful.
To compete, designs must weigh no more than 55 pounds, including fuel or power source, and be capable of lifting a minimum payload of 110 pounds across the set 5-nautical mile circuit course. This threshold encourages creativity and innovative thinking for designs at a scale that should allow widespread participation.
The challenge prioritizes safety and regulatory compliance, requiring all participating individuals and teams to strictly adhere to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Teams will go head-to-head in live performance trials in Summer 2026.
Design parameters:
- Aircraft takeoff weight (including any payload attachment devices) must be equal to or less than 55 pounds
- Aircraft and payload must demonstrate the ability to take off and land vertically
- Designs may not include launch and recovery equipment or lighter-than-air solutions
- Design elements not restricted:
- Energy sources
- Internal or external payload arrangement
- Human or autonomous operation
Course parameters:
- During the performance trials, teams will navigate a precise 5-nm circuit (4 nm loaded, 1 nm unloaded) at a consistent altitude of 350 feet (+/- 50 feet), striving to deliver the heaviest possible payload within a 30-minute flight time and achieve a controlled vertical landing within a 10-foot radius target zone.
- Teams must maintain visual line of sight with the drone during flight and meet all remote identification mandates.
- A standardized payload, comprised of commercially available barbell gym plates arranged to maximize individual plate weight, must be securely attached at a single, designated point on the aircraft.
- Each team will have two 90-minute flight windows to post their most successful score.
- For a flight to be considered eligible, it must complete the above stated course within time parameters, carrying a minimum payload of 110 pounds, and adhering to all safety requirements.
- While the minimum payload to log a successful run is 110 pounds, scoring will be based off the individual aircraft to weight ratio.
- The aircraft completing the circuit with the highest payload-to-weight ratio will be the winner (4:1 ratio required to be eligible for full prize amounts).
