The U.S. Army plans to increase partnerships with private industry and boost its own manufacturing capacity to field at least one million drones within the next two to three years, an Army spokesperson told Military Times.
On Friday, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll first detailed the Army’s hopes to speed up drone production to Reuters during a visit to Picatinny Arsenal. An Army spokesperson has since provided more detailed clarification to Military Times.
Driscoll was referring to the Army’s new pilot program called SkyFoundry, which would see the service forge partnerships with private industry and also kickstart in-house Army manufacturing to churn out drones rapidly for battlefield use.
“SkyFoundry is the Army’s concept for a public-private partnership to help reinvigorate the American industrial base,” an Army spokesperson told Military Times in a statement. “This concept will stimulate the U.S. drone industry, support American manufacturing, increase access to rare earth materials, produce low-cost components and ultimately deliver drones for immediate needs to the Army.
“Everyone benefits: American industry becomes healthier, the country is safer and the Army has the system required to produce and procure millions of drones in the next 2-3 years.”
The spokesperson clarified that the Army is not trying to outdo private industry but to make drone technology more widely accessible to service members, as drone use will certainly dominate future battlefields.
“Some drones will be expendable as if they’re munitions, others will be durable, but not meant to last forever,” the spokesperson said. “Everyone will need to be well-versed in using drones and in counter drone response.”
The SkyFoundry Act was introduced by Congressman Pat Harrigan, R-NC., on Sept. 4 shortly before the government shutdown took effect.
“More than 80% of casualties in modern war now come from drones, yet we still have no capacity to build them at scale. That failure is reckless, and it leaves our troops exposed,” Harrigan said in a statement.
“This bill creates the capacity to design, test and build a million drones a year right here in America. It cuts China out of our supply chains, it arms our troops with what they need to dominate, and it makes clear we will never again let our enemies outproduce us in the weapons that decide wars.”
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.