Overview
- Driscoll described small armed drones as improvised explosive devices that are cheap, 3D‑printable, and easily cross borders, calling them a threat to all humanity.
- He cited estimates that Ukraine produces about 4 million drones annually and China roughly 12–14 million, framing U.S. plans around closing that gap.
- The Army is discussing procurement on the order of one million drones over the next two to three years, with components made on Army bases and purchased by private partners, from a current baseline of about 50,000 a year.
- He said no single countermeasure suffices and emphasized layered defenses, noting that cable‑tethered drones can blunt electronic warfare and have pushed net launchers back into use.
- The remarks follow a June order from President Donald Trump directing the FAA to accelerate U.S. drone technology and defenses, and a July Fox News report that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth moved to speed production and deployment.