Microdisplay and optics provider Kopin Corporation announced on Monday that it has received orders from multiple customers evaluating its Sentinel First-Person Viewer product for potential use in a US government program for one-way attack drones.

These customers are involved in bidding for the US government's Drone Dominance Program, an initiative aimed at bolstering domestic small unmanned aerial vehicle and FPV capabilities while reducing reliance on foreign FPV technology. An FPV viewer is a head-mounted device that visually places a drone pilot within the drone's cockpit, enabling real-time control.

Kopin's Sentinel FPV platform features a dual situational awareness capability, allowing pilots to view high-definition drone feeds while maintaining awareness of their immediate physical surroundings. This is a critical function designed specifically for combat environments, fundamentally distinguishing it from traditional consumer-grade FPV goggles. Furthermore, the product is characterized by its extremely light weight and is manufactured in the United States, meeting defense supply chain requirements.

Kopin has now secured multiple prototype orders, with each customer representing a potential follow-on production opportunity. The winner of the Drone Dominance Program may require tens of thousands of FPV goggles, with production orders expected to commence immediately after the DDP's Phase 2 evaluation and award announcement in late August.

Kopin's Chief Executive Officer, Michael Murray, stated that various parties, including customers competing in the DDP, are turning to Kopin's domestically manufactured Sentinel FPV product. He noted this validates the advantages of the company's dual situational awareness design philosophy and that each engagement holds the potential to expand into a substantial production order.