Pentagon wants $54B for drones, more than most nations' military ...
AI Analysis
The Pentagon has requested $53.6 billion for drone and counter-drone technologies in its FY2027 budget, marking the largest investment in these areas in US history. This funding will support the production, procurement, and operational logistics of drones, as well as the expansion of counter-drone systems.
Key Takeaways
- Pentagon's FY2027 budget includes $53.6 billion for drones and counter-drone technologies.
- The Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) will see a significant budget increase.
- Funding includes procurement of one-way attack drones and collaborative combat aircraft.
- The budget also supports the US Navy's MQ-25 drone for midair refueling.
- The investment surpasses the defense budgets of many countries, ranking in the top 10 globally.
Why It Matters
This substantial investment underscores the strategic importance the US places on drone warfare and counter-UAS capabilities, reflecting a shift towards autonomous and unmanned systems in military operations. It also highlights the growing need to protect military assets from drone threats, ensuring operational superiority in future conflicts.
Pentagon wants $54B for drones, more than most nations’ military budgets - Ars Technica
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The US military’s massive $1.5 trillion budget request for the next fiscal year includes what Pentagon officials described as the largest investment in drone warfare and counter-drone technology in US history.
The proposed spending on drone and autonomous warfare technologies within the FY2027 budget proposal for the US Department of Defense would surpass most countries’ defense budgets and rank among the top 10 in the world for military spending, ahead of countries such as Ukraine, South Korea, and Israel.
Specifically, the Pentagon is requesting $53.6 billion to boost US production and procurement of drones, train drone operators, build out a logistics network for sustaining drone deployments, and expand counter-drone systems to defend more US military sites. The funding request is budgeted under the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG), an organization established in late 2025 that would see a massive budget increase after receiving about $226 million in the 2026 fiscal year budget.
“I think of the DAWG as a pathfinder—they’re out there finding the best technology for us and working on integration,” said Jules Hurst, a senior Pentagon official performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense, during a Pentagon press briefing held on April 21. “They’re with these companies, live right now, testing different systems and orchestration tools for autonomy, and they’re giving them live feedback.”
Another $20.6 billion would help purchase one-way attack drones and drone aircraft developed through the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, which is building drone prototypes capable of teaming up with human-piloted fighter jets. Part of this funding would also go toward defensive systems for countering small drones and the US Navy’s Boeing MQ-25 drone designed to perform midair refueling of carrier-borne fighter aircraft to extend their strike ranges.
Such drone-related spending even rivals the entire budget of the US Marine Corps. But the Pentagon has not said that it is creating a dedicated drone branch of the US military similar to the standalone [Space Force](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/04/pentagon-pulls-the-plug-on-one-of-the-militarys-most-troubled-space-programs/