Overview
- Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said the service expects to purchase at least one million small unmanned aircraft over the next two to three years, a sharp increase from about 50,000 bought annually today.
- After the initial surge, annual buys could range from roughly half a million to several million drones, with the mix of types to be refined as production scales.
- The SkyFoundry pilot, run by Army Materiel Command, is the public‑private path to rapidly develop, test and build drones while strengthening domestic supply chains for motors, sensors, batteries and circuit boards now dominated by China.
- Driscoll signaled the Army will spread funding across multiple producers rather than rely on a single facility, seeking partners that already build commercial platforms as it shifts toward faster, lower‑cost procurement.
- In parallel, the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office issued an RFI for up to 20 high‑energy laser counter‑drone systems, with responses due Nov. 21 and potential testing at Dugway Proving Ground in December and January.