Pentagon asks for $53.6B for drones in proposed FY2027 budget

In short: The Pentagon is asking Congress for $53.6 billion to expand US drone use and defenses against drones in its proposed FY2027 budget.

What happened

The US Department of Defense has included a major increase in drone spending in its proposed budget for fiscal year 2027. The overall Pentagon budget request is about $1.5 trillion.

Pentagon officials said the plan includes what they call the largest US investment so far in drone warfare and tools to stop drones. The Pentagon is requesting $53.6 billion under a group called the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, or DAWG. DAWG was set up in late 2025 and previously received about $226 million in the 2026 budget.

The request would cover building and buying more drones, training drone operators, and setting up the support system to keep drones working in the field. It also includes more “counter-drone” systems, meaning equipment meant to spot and stop small drones near US military sites.

On top of that, the Pentagon is requesting another $20.6 billion for related drone programs. This includes one-way attack drones (think of them like a drone that acts like a missile) and Air Force drones designed to fly alongside human pilots. It also includes the Navy’s MQ-25 drone, which is meant to refuel fighter jets in midair.

Why it matters

These numbers are large enough to rival the entire military budgets of many countries, including Ukraine, and lawmakers still have to approve the spending. The request shows how quickly modern warfare is shifting toward cheaper, more numerous flying machines, and toward defenses to stop them.

Source: Arstechnica