The Drones the US Military is Looking for Now

US Military’s Drone Evolution: Seeking Low-Cost, Attritable Systems in Wake of Ukraine War Lessons

The US Army is undergoing one of its most significant transformations since the Cold War, with uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) playing a central role in this evolution. Recent statements from Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, coupled with substantial investments in drone technology through Congressional funding and Department of Defense initiatives like “Replicator,” signal a clear shift in US military priorities toward lower-cost, expendable systems that can be deployed at scale.

Army Secretary Driscoll’s Vision for a More Lethal Force

During a recent interview with Business Insider, Secretary Driscoll outlined a vision for the Army that prioritizes lethality above all else. “What has occurred is a hollowing out of a lot of the tools that we have given our soldiers,” Driscoll told the interviewer, arguing that decision-makers “have optimized for nearly everything other than the soldier in their decision-making”.

The 38-year-old former armor officer and Iraq War veteran made it clear that his focus is lethality, aligned with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s priorities. This focus translates to significant changes in how the Army acquires and deploys technology, including drones.

“Anything in the US Army that doesn’t advance that goal could be out,” Driscoll explicitly stated to Business Insider, indicating that legacy systems that fail to contribute to lethality may be eliminated.

The Army Transformation Initiative: Restructuring for Modern Warfare

The Army Transformation Initiative (ATI) represents a comprehensive strategy to reshape the service for future conflicts. According to Driscoll, the Pentagon’s decision-making process has been “contorted” for 30 years, becoming a “parochial driven enterprise” serving various constituencies rather than optimizing for soldiers’ needs.

The initiative comprises three primary lines of effort:

• Deliver critical warfighting capabilities: Including long-range missiles, modernized UAS, and AI-integrated command and control systems

• Optimize force structure: Cutting staff positions, merging commands, and restructuring aviation assets

• Eliminate waste and obsolete programs: Canceling procurement of outdated systems like the AH-64D attack helicopter and Gray Eagle UAVs

A significant aspect of this transformation involves “reducing and restructuring manned attack helicopter formations and augmenting with inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries”. This represents a fundamental shift from expensive, crewed platforms to more numerous, less expensive autonomous systems.

Defining “Attritable” Systems: The Middle Ground

Central to understanding the military’s drone strategy is the concept of “attritability.” Attritable systems occupy a middle ground between one-time-use expendable weapons (like missiles) and sophisticated manned platforms (like fighter jets).

These systems are:

• Intended to complete missions and return, but acceptable to lose in combat

• Built at significantly lower costs than manned platforms

• Able to be produced in greater quantities

• Often featuring some degree of autonomy

As explained in military publications, “attritable systems accomplish their mission at a much lower cost so that failure to return will not have a significant overall impact, making it more acceptable if an individual system is lost”. This approach allows for deploying larger numbers of systems, creating tactical advantages through mass rather than individual platform sophistication.

The Replicator Initiative: Scaling Up Attritable Systems

The Department of Defense’s Replicator initiative, launched in August 2023, directly supports the attritable systems strategy. The program aims to deliver “all-domain attritable autonomous systems” (ADA2) to warfighters at a scale of multiple thousands across multiple domains by August 2025.

The first contracts under Replicator, announced in May 2024, included purchases of uncrewed watercraft, aerial drones, and anti-drone defenses. The initiative’s second phase, Replicator 2, focuses specifically on countering threats from small uncrewed aerial systems.

Replicator draws explicit lessons from the Ukraine-Russia conflict, where Ukraine has leveraged large numbers of low-cost systems to counter Russia’s advantages. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who announced the program, positioned it as a means to quickly produce weapons to deter and counter China.

Congressional Backing: The $150 Billion Reconciliation Bill

The military’s drone transformation could receive substantial financial support through a $150 billion defense reconciliation bill unveiled in spring 2025. This legislation includes significant investments in uncrewed systems across all domains:

• $1 billion to expand the one-way attack UAS industrial base

• $50 million to accelerate advanced autonomy in one-way attack UAS

• $1.1 billion for expansion of the small UAS industrial base

• $500 million for counter-UAS systems programs

• $350 million for non-kinetic counter-UAS programs

• $250 million for land-based counter-UAS

• $200 million for ship-based counter-UAS

The bill aims to build what industry advocates call the “Uncrewed Arsenal of Democracy,” directly supporting the modernization of U.S. military capabilities.

Lessons from Ukraine: The Proving Ground for Low-Cost Drones

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has provided compelling evidence of the effectiveness of low-cost drone systems. More than two-thirds of Russian tanks destroyed by Ukraine in recent months were taken out using first-person-view (FPV) drones, according to NATO officials.

Ukraine produced an estimated 2.2 million drones in 2024, compared to Russia’s 1.5 million, with manufacturers focusing on rapid assembly and sourcing affordable components. Ukrainian officials have described their country as a “war lab for the future” for testing and refining autonomous and robotic systems.

This real-world validation has clearly influenced US military thinking. Defense Secretary Hegseth’s directive for the Army reflects these lessons, mandating that every Army division be equipped with unmanned systems by the end of 2026

What Drones the US Military Wants Now

Based on the Army leadership statements, budget allocations, and program initiatives, the US military appears to be prioritizing several specific types of drone systems:

1. One-Way Attack Drones (Loitering Munitions)

The significant investment in “kamikaze drone” industrial base expansion ($1 billion) signals strong interest in these systems, which destroy targets by crashing into them. These drones combine the precision of guided weapons with the persistence of reconnaissance platforms.

2. Small Tactical UAS

With $1.1 billion allocated for small UAS industrial base expansion, these systems will likely be deployed at lower tactical levels, providing infantry units with organic ISR and strike capabilities.

3. Autonomous Drone Swarms

Defense Secretary Hegseth explicitly calls for “inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries” to augment or replace manned attack helicopter formations. The emphasis on overwhelming quantity represents a significant shift in tactical thinking.

4. Counter-UAS Systems

With multiple funding lines dedicated to counter-drone capabilities, the military recognizes the growing threat posed by enemy UAS. These systems will need to protect forces and installations across multiple domains.

5. AI-Enhanced Autonomous Systems

The allocation of $145 million for AI capabilities to enable one-way attack UAS indicates the importance of increasing drone autonomy. This aligns with Hegseth’s directive to “enable AI-driven command and control” at various headquarters levels by 2027.

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry.  Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.

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