Pentagon jumps from $225M to $55B on drones as cheap attacks overwhelm US defenses
Summary
The Pentagon requests roughly $55 billion in FY2027 for drone and autonomous warfare programs, a dramatic increase from the prior year's $225 million. The funding supports the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group and a wide range of programs aimed at deploying large numbers of AI-enabled drones in coordinated swarms. The article discusses battlefield lessons, shift toward cheap, networked platforms, and the challenges of scaling autonomous coordination and defense countermeasures.