The Pentagon's $53.6bn drone request would, on its own, rank among the world's top 10 military budgets, officials say. The US Department of Defense has asked Congress for the money in its fiscal 2027 request as part of a $1.5tn defence package to scale production, training, logistics and counter‑drone systems for drones and autonomous platforms.

Size and scope of the request

The US Department of Defense has asked Congress for roughly $53.6 billion to speed up production and deployment of drones and autonomous systems, part of a wider $1.5 trillion defence budget request for the next fiscal year.

The $53.6bn would go to the newly formed Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG), set up late in 2025 to shepherd drone and autonomy efforts. The funds would expand DAWG from a testing and integration role into a major acquisition hub; it received about $226 million in fiscal 2026.

Where the money would go

Officials say the allocation would cover strike and support drones plus the logistics and command systems that let unmanned platforms operate together, including sensors, software and networks. Major areas of spending include:

  • Purchasing large numbers of strike and support drones.
  • Training operators and building logistics chains for widespread deployments.
  • Investing in sensors, software, and networking to enable coordinated autonomy.
  • Expanding counter-drone systems to protect US bases and high-value sites from small unmanned aircraft.
  • Additional funding—about $20.6bn—earmarked for one-way attack drones and airframe development under the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme, and support for the Navy’s MQ-25 carrier-based unmanned refueller.

How the request compares globally

Pentagon officials say that, if treated as a standalone budget, the drone allocation would rank among the top 10 military spenders worldwide, exceeding the entire defence budgets of several countries. They framed the spending as an attempt to maintain a technological edge as cheaper drone technology becomes widely available to other states and non-state groups.

Officials also note the drone request approaches the size of some whole-service budgets inside the US military, and that the extra funding would speed development of unmanned aircraft designed to team with human pilots.

“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, at a press briefing on 21 April.

If approved, the funding would shift DAWG from a mostly experimental unit to a central acquisition hub and accelerate efforts to field drones that can operate alongside crewed aircraft — a response officials say is necessary as drone technology spreads to more actors.

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Congress will now consider the request as part of its fiscal 2027 defence package.

This article was created with AI assistance.