Overview
- Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said the service expects to purchase at least one million drones within the next two to three years.
- He added that annual buys after that could range from roughly 500,000 to multiple millions depending on operational needs.
- The Army currently acquires about 50,000 drones a year, underscoring the scale of the planned ramp-up.
- The push prioritizes U.S. production of motors, sensors, batteries and circuit boards as Chinese firms dominate much of today’s supply chain.
- Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, Driscoll cited output of roughly four million drones a year by both Russia and Ukraine and said China likely produces more than double, while the Army also experiments with counter-drone nets and electromagnetic tools.