The U.S. Department of Defense has launched the Drone Dominance Program, a $1 billion initiative aimed at boosting the production and acquisition of over 300,000 kamikaze drones by 2028.
The plan, which follows the directive signed in July by Secretary Pete Hegseth, seeks to accelerate the adoption of low-cost drones, now treated as consumables and even accessible to tactical-level commanders. The goal is to reduce the per-unit cost from $5,000 to about $2,300 over the four phases of the project.
The program includes competitions between suppliers, practical tests conducted by military operators, and the purchase of 30,000 drones by July 2026, increasing to over 200,000 by 2027. As part of challenges called Gauntlet, manufacturers will have to demonstrate performance in real missions, including attacks at 10 km in open terrain and 1 km in simulated urban environments, always carrying at least 2 kg of weight. Up to 12 companies may receive initial orders of 1,000 units each, with payment only for accepted deliveries.
The DDP features new characteristics, including the absence of automatic elimination between phases and the publication of a public scoreboard showing participants’ performance. For the Pentagon, the program represents a strategic response to the rapid innovations observed on the battlefields of Ukraine, aiming to prepare the U.S. industry for mass drone production and establish a new standard for military procurement of low-cost systems.
Source: The War Zone | Photo: X @SecWar | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
The funding provided by the Big Beautiful Bill is ready to be used to mount an effective sprint to build combat power.
We call it Drone Dominance.
At the War Department, we are adopting new technologies with a “fight tonight” philosophy – so our warfighters have the… pic.twitter.com/F6UMLxmwB7
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) December 2, 2025
