Pentagon drone dominance ambitions go beyond US factories The Pentagon is pouring about $1.1 billion into "drone dominance," a plan to expand U.S. production of low-cost UAVs through competitive trials and bulk orders, with the goal of buying about 250,000 by the end of 2027. Meanwhile, Russia is estimated to be targeting the production of 7.3 million small attack UAVs by 2026, according to an Oct. 31 Bloomberg report. "We're basically starting from scratch," says Travis Metz, director of the defense innovation unit. America knows how to build military drones. The trouble is to turn out small, disposable attack UAVs in quantities suitable for a war where replacements are needed every day. Russia offers an uncomfortable comparison. Russia plans to produce 7.3 million small UAVs by the end of 2026. This remains an estimate of planned output, and the US figure covers one procurement program and not the entire industry. Still, it is difficult to dress up the account. If this Russian estimate holds, the average monthly output will exceed 600,000 drones. In less than two weeks, the Russian factories will meet all of Metz's purchase target, which is planned until the end of 2027. UAV Dominance aims to remedy this through four rounds of competition, with orders rewarding companies that pass tests and deliver on time. Posting prices and quantities in advance gives manufacturers a reason to expand. A successful demonstration alone will not keep the troops supplied. The second round makes this distinction concrete. Entrants must deliver 120 drones to prove they can produce them before they advance to operational trials. The requirements include attacks on canals, buildings and targets at a distance of up to 20 km, despite radio jamming and disruptions in satellite navigation. And then comes the spare parts bill. Chinese components help make small UAVs cheap, but restrictions on their use are pushing American manufacturers toward more expensive alternatives.

Pentagon drone dominance ambitions go beyond US factories The Pentagon is pouring about $1.1 billion into "drone dominance," a plan to expand U.S. production of low-cost UAVs through competitive trials and bulk orders, with the goal of buying about 250,000 by the end of 2027. Meanwhile, Russia is estimated to be targeting the production of 7.3 million small attack UAVs by 2026, according to an Oct. 31 Bloomberg report. "We're basically starting from scratch," says Travis Metz, director of the defense innovation unit. America knows how to build military drones. The trouble is to turn out small, disposable attack UAVs in quantities suitable for a war where replacements are needed every day. Russia offers an uncomfortable comparison. Russia plans to produce 7.3 million small UAVs by the end of 2026. This remains an estimate of planned output, and the US figure covers one procurement program and not the entire industry. Still, it is difficult to dress up the account. If this Russian estimate holds, the average monthly output will exceed 600,000 drones. In less than two weeks, the Russian factories will meet all of Metz's purchase target, which is planned until the end of 2027. UAV Dominance aims to remedy this through four rounds of competition, with orders rewarding companies that pass tests and deliver on time. Posting prices and quantities in advance gives manufacturers a reason to expand. A successful demonstration alone will not keep the troops supplied. The second round makes this distinction concrete. Entrants must deliver 120 drones to prove they can produce them before they advance to operational trials. The requirements include attacks on canals, buildings and targets at a distance of up to 20 km, despite radio jamming and disruptions in satellite navigation. And then comes the spare parts bill. Chinese components help make small UAVs cheap, but restrictions on their use are pushing American manufacturers toward more expensive alternatives.