GPS-denied UAS plans to scale up under SPARC AI & Rate Manufacturing pact

News

May 20, 2026

Lisa Daigle

Assistant Managing Editor

Military Embedded Systems

SOF WEEK 2026--TAMPA. Defense autonomy company SPARC AI announced a strategic partnership with Rate Manufacturing, a U.S.-based defense manufacturer, under which the two will integrate SPARC AI’s Overwatch platform into Rate’s Model-F multimission uncrewed systems and future platforms. The new partnership was announced at SOF Week, now underway in Tampa, Florida.

The collaboration unites Rate Manufacturing’s uncrewed aerial system (UAS) platform -- designed for scaling cost-effective UAS manufacturing -- with SPARC AI’s software layer, which the company built to solve one of the core constraints of small UAS (sUAS): that of maintaining accurate positioning and targeting under degraded/denied GPS conditions.

The announcement touts Rate’s Model-F system, which emphasizes modularity, reliability, and scalable production, plus SPARC AI Overwatch's use of onboard inertial sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce drift and maintain usable accuracy without reliance on external signals or additional hardware.

“Rate Manufacturing’s mission is to deliver drone systems that are reliable, intuitive, and affordable – built to succeed in the world’s most demanding environments,” said Jamie Waller, CEO of Rate Manufacturing. “SPARC AI’s Overwatch fits that mission directly. It puts GPS-denied positioning and targeting in the hands of every operator without adding hardware, weight, or training time, which is how we keep capability scaling alongside production.”