US Army Plans to Buy Over One Million Drones in Next Three Years

The United States Army plans to purchase at least one million drones over the next two to three years and could acquire from half a million to several million annually thereafter, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said in an interview with Reuters.

According to him, the large-scale expansion of the drone procurement program will be a major challenge, as the army — the largest branch of the US Armed Forces — currently buys only about 50,000 units per year.

“It is a big lift. But it is a lift we’re very capable of doing,” Driscoll said while visiting Picatinny Arsenal, where he reviewed developments in drone-intercepting munitions, as well as new explosive and electromagnetic systems integrated into US weapon platforms.
He noted that the US Army is closely studying the experience of the Ukrainian conflict, where drones are being used “on an unprecedented scale.”