US War Department Launches $1 Billion Drone Dominance Program to Procure Over 300,000 Drones

War Department Unveils Ambitious Drone Procurement Plan

The United States War Department has officially launched its 'Drone Dominance Program,' a significant initiative aimed at procuring between 300,000 and 340,000 small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) over the next two years. Announced earlier this week, the program is backed by $1 billion in funding from President Donald J. Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' and seeks to rapidly expand the nation's drone manufacturing capabilities. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the program is 'purpose-built on the pillars of the War Department's new acquisition philosophy: a stable demand signal to expand the US drone industrial base by leveraging private capital, paired with flexible contracting built for commercial companies, founded by our best engineers and entrepreneurs.'

This move follows President Trump's 'Unleashing American Drone Dominance' executive order signed on June 6, which outlined a strategy to enhance U.S. drone capabilities across both commercial and military sectors. Secretary Hegseth further detailed the military's implementation plan in a July memorandum, emphasizing the urgent need to equip U.S. forces with a large quantity of inexpensive, American-made, lethal drones.

Phased Approach to Industrial Scale-Up

The Drone Dominance Program is structured around a four-phase, two-year plan, with each phase referred to as a 'gauntlet.' The initial phase is set to commence in February 2026 and run through July 2026. During this period, the War Department expects to order 30,000 one-way attack drones. From a pool of 25 potential vendors, 12 companies will be selected to produce these initial systems at an estimated cost of $5,000 per unit, totaling $150 million in procurement costs for this first stage.

Subsequent gauntlets will see a gradual reduction in the number of selected vendors, narrowing from 12 to five, while the volume of drones ordered will significantly increase, reaching up to 150,000 units in later phases. Concurrently, the department anticipates that economies of scale will drive down the unit cost from $5,000 to approximately $2,300.

Strategic Imperative for 'Drone Dominance'

The initiative is a direct response to lessons learned from contemporary conflicts, particularly the extensive use of low-cost, expendable drones in Ukraine. Secretary Hegseth highlighted the need to modernize the military's approach, stating, 'We cannot afford to shoot down cheap drones with $2 million missiles. And we ourselves must be able to field large quantities of capable attack drones.'

The program aims to reform the Pentagon's traditionally slow acquisition process by creating a predictable, high-volume demand signal for industry. This is intended to stimulate large-scale domestic industrial production, strengthen supply chains, and accelerate the fielding of critical capabilities to warfighters. The requested drones are expected to be small unmanned aerial systems capable of one-way attack missions, similar to first-person-view drones and small quadcopters.

Impact on Industry and Future Warfare

The War Department's Request for Information (RFI), issued earlier this week, serves to gauge industry's capacity and willingness to meet these ambitious production targets. The program is designed to incentivize both traditional and non-traditional defense companies to invest in and expand their manufacturing capabilities. By focusing on low-cost, attritable systems, the Drone Dominance Program seeks to transform small, armed drones into a standardized, ammunition-like capability, rather than a niche asset.

Secretary Hegseth emphasized the 'fight tonight' philosophy, ensuring that warfighters have cutting-edge tools. He also indicated that 'next year I expect to see capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,' signaling a fundamental shift in military doctrine and training.