U.S. to Buy One Million Drones, Drawing Lessons from Ukraine’s War with Russia

The Pentagon plans to acquire more than a million drones over the next few years as part of a sweeping effort to modernize the U.S. Army, citing lessons learned from Ukraine’s use of unmanned aircraft in its defense against Russia.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters.

U.S. Army Undersecretary Daniel Driscoll said the goal is to close America’s capability gap in drone warfare and secure a robust domestic supply chain for future conflicts. The army currently procures only about 50,000 drones annually – a fraction of what it now considers necessary.

“It is a big lift. But it is a lift we're very capable of doing,” Driscoll said, noting that production targets include at least one million drones within the next two to three years and half a million units each year thereafter.

Officials said the war in Ukraine has demonstrated how small, inexpensive drones can decisively shape modern battlefields, from reconnaissance to precision strikes, especially when traditional aircraft face dense air defenses. 

Both Ukraine and Russia now produce millions of drones annually, while China dominates the global supply of key components such as batteries, sensors, and circuit boards.

Driscoll emphasized that the U.S. must be able to manufacture every critical element of its drones domestically. “We need a supply chain strong and deep enough to sustain production during any future conflict,” he added.

The Pentagon is also considering partnerships with multiple U.S. manufacturers rather than relying on a single large facility. A bill in Congress proposes building a drone factory in Texas with a capacity of one million units per year.

The initiative follows the growing U.S.-Ukrainian cooperation in unmanned systems. In recent months, Washington and Kyiv have discussed joint drone production and potential purchases of Ukrainian-made interceptors. 

Ukrainian company Bullet and AIRO Group Holdings of the United States have already signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture for such systems.

“Drones are the future of warfare,” Driscoll said. “We must invest in both offensive and defensive capabilities to stay ahead.”

As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine is extending its defense industry footprint beyond Europe, with new representative offices set to open in Europe, the United States and across the Global South.

Read more on The Gaze: How Ukrainian Air Defense Learned to Shoot Down Drones Using Neural Networks