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Every division of the US Army should be equipped with drones by the end of 2026, according to an official memo released by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday.
The move is part of a raft of measures that aim to “restore the warrior ethos” and “reestablish deterrence,” Hegseth wrote.
Crewed attack helicopter formations are also to be restructured and augmented with “inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries,” he said.
The memo signals a shift from yearslong procurement cycles for large-scale, multimillion-dollar equipment, to what appears to be a more nimble and responsive approach, wrapping in much cheaper and more adaptable systems.
While the announcement referred only to the goal of deterring China in the Indo-Pacific, it appears to be heavily influenced by the war in Ukraine.
As BI’s Jake Epstein reported, Ukraine’s use of drones against Russia has become a blueprint for modern warfare on a budget.
Ukraine says it’s the world’s leading producer of drones, which it fields in their thousands. These range from large attack drones to commercial off-the-shelf drones used by soldiers for surveillance and target acquisition.
Russia is also heavily deploying drones. One Ukrainian drone pilot told BI that there are so many drones in the skies that soldiers can easily find themselves confused about who they belong to.
Drones for all divisions
Each combat division of the US Army is set to receive around 1,000 drones to use in attacks, moving supplies, and surveillance, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment.
“Land warfare has transitioned to drone warfare,” Jack Keane, a retired general, told the Journal. “If you can be seen, you can be killed.”
Hegseth’s announcement also directed the Army to ramp up the use of counter-drone capabilities, as well as AI and 3D printing across units.
In March, Breaking Defense reported that the US was already 3D printing small drones for training purposes.
Along with the high-tech push, Hegseth’s memo also laid out plans to “cancel or scale back ineffective or redundant programs,” including in areas like crewed aircraft, outdated drones, and ground vehicles such as Humvees.
Other “wasteful” projects earmarked for scaling back include sustainment of legacy items and what the memo described as “unnecessary climate-related initiatives.”
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