19:35 07-11-2025

U.S. Army Plans to Buy One Million Drones

U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elijah Magana, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The U.S. Army plans to purchase at least one million drones within three years, aiming to secure domestic production and redefine unmanned warfare.

The U. S. Army is preparing for a massive expansion of its drone procurement program. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll told Reuters that the Pentagon plans to acquire at least one million unmanned aerial vehicles over the next two to three years — a figure that could eventually grow to several million annually.

Driscoll described the plan as an «enormous challenge, but entirely achievable.» At present, the Army purchases roughly 50,000 drones each year, meaning the upcoming expansion will multiply production many times over.

According to the official, Washington’s strategy is being shaped by the lessons of the Ukrainian conflict, where drones have played an unprecedented role on the battlefield. He noted that the U.S. intends to establish a self-sufficient industrial base capable of manufacturing all key drone components domestically — including engines, sensors, batteries, and printed circuit boards — most of which are currently sourced from China.

Driscoll emphasized that within a few years, the United States must be able to rapidly scale up drone production and ensure secure supply chains in the event of a major conflict.

He added that the Pentagon aims to fundamentally shift its approach to unmanned systems — from viewing them as expensive, specialized assets to treating them as expendable munitions that can be produced and deployed in vast quantities.