The United States Army intends to acquire at least one million drones in the next 2-3 years.

The U.S. Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, announced that the army aims to acquire at least one million drones in the next 2-3 years, with the goal of enhancing defense and attack capabilities. Currently, the army purchases about 50,000 drones annually, but Driscoll emphasizes that this is a feasible effort. The lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, where drones played a crucial role, influenced this decision.

The U.S. also aims to become capable of producing enough drones for any future conflict, boosting domestic production of the necessary components. The Pentagon has launched the Replicator initiative to deploy thousands of autonomous drones by 2025 and has canceled restrictive policies affecting production. Driscoll mentioned that the army will collaborate with various companies, including those in the commercial sector, to diversify production sources and reduce dependence on imports from China.