OpenWorks Wins DHS Counter-Drone Order

British counter-drone company OpenWorks Engineering has won a purchase order to supply its Vision Pace system to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In an announcement on 20 October 2026, OpenWorks said it was “awarded a purchase order to provide the U.S. Department for Homeland Security (DHS) with capability to counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) under the Amentum DOD IAC MAC contract.”

OpenWorks did not disclose the value of the order or how many systems it covers. The win still matters for a company founded in North East England in 2015: it puts its technology inside the US homeland-security market as concern grows about drones near airports and big public events.

In brief

OpenWorks Engineering has won a DHS purchase order for its Vision Pace counter-drone system, placed under the Amentum DOD IAC MAC contract.
The company did not disclose the value or quantity of the order.
OpenWorks says Vision Pace can detect, track, identify and target fast-moving drones, and has now been deployed on three continents since its 2025 launch.

How the order works

The order comes through Amentum, an engineering contractor that supports the DHS Science and Technology Directorate. Amentum holds the DOD IAC MAC contract, awarded by the US Air Force’s 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron. OpenWorks describes it as an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract that provides research and development services across the Department of Defense.

Beyond confirming the purchase order, OpenWorks gave no dates, values or deployment locations.

What OpenWorks says Vision Pace does

OpenWorks describes Vision Pace as “an ultra-high-performance C-UAS system designed to detect, track, identify and target the most dynamic threats from stationary or on-the-move platforms”. These are the company’s own descriptions.

According to OpenWorks, the system pairs imaging technology with a direct-drive, low-friction positioner for stabilised tracking of fast-moving targets. It can be used “with built-in twin-AI modules or third-party classifiers and trackers”. A laser rangefinder provides geospatial target reporting, and an integrated radar and sensor-fusion capability is meant to make it easier to deploy. A Rapid Deployment Kit, with a built-in battery pack and lifting points, lets operators move the system to better positions.

OpenWorks says the system is meant to reduce the potential for “unwanted surveillance, nuisance engagements and payload threats”. It says the DHS order marks Vision Pace’s deployment “on three continents since its launch in 2025.”

Why DHS wants it

“The threat posed by nuisance and malicious drones is well-documented with sightings at airports, major events and military locations,” said James Cross, OpenWorks’ chief commercial officer. He noted that the US hosts many high-profile sporting and cultural events “where the world’s eyes will be watching”.

OpenWorks is best known for SkyWall Patrol, one of the first handheld drone-capture systems. It has offices in Northumberland and Ashburn, Virginia.

Our read

A DHS order is a useful foothold for a British C-UAS maker in a market dominated by US defence primes. With no value or volume disclosed, its scale is unknown, and the performance claims are OpenWorks’ own. The signal is that US homeland-security buyers are adding detection and tracking tools for crowded civilian settings, not just military bases.