The War Department said it has invested more than $6 billion in unmanned systems over the past year as a new portfolio office expands field deployments. The release linked an investment of about $782 million to more than 1,300 one-way attack UAVs and over 100 unmanned surface and underwater vessels; it also said Joint Interagency Task Force 401 fielded more than 24,000 counter-UAS.
The department said the deliveries include more than 1,300 one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles, more than 100 unmanned surface and underwater vessels, and over 24,000 counter-drone systems. Joint Interagency Task Force 401 handled the counter-drone deliveries. The department also reported more than $6 billion in investment in unmanned systems over the past year.
In July, the department brought Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the War Department Innovation Unit and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group under the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS). The office is charged with accelerating the path from development to procurement and large-scale deployment.
The department tied the office's creation to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's focus on drone dominance. It said more predictable demand is intended to encourage U.S. manufacturers to increase production. The department described lower-cost systems as a way to reduce commanders' reliance on expensive traditional weapons.
The department said deployed forces gain operational capabilities and a defensive layer against drones. Owen West, DRPM-UxS director, called the systems already in use across Central Command “just the beginning.”
A letter by West and Max Strasiser lays out a vision for a proposed four-star Autonomous Warfare Command. The department's release said the letter expected the command to stand up by Oct. 1, 2027.
The department said deliveries to Central Command will continue as deployments expand across the Joint Force. A second manufacturing gauntlet, involving 10 vendors, is scheduled to conclude in January. The government plans to purchase about 60,000 units at $5,000 each, while a fourth gauntlet is scheduled to end in January 2028.
