The Pentagon says it has delivered more than 25,000 unmanned and counter-drone systems to U.S. Central Command this year through an approximately $782 million effort to accelerate military procurement.
The Department of War announced the deliveries in a November 4 release, with counter-drone systems accounting for the bulk of the equipment. The announcement provides a delivery tally for a broader push to buy and deploy autonomous weapons and defenses more quickly.
Systems for attack and defense
The Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems, known as DRPM-UxS, fielded more than 1,300 one-way attack aerial vehicles and more than 100 unmanned surface and underwater vessels combined, according to the release.
The department also reported more than 24,000 counter-drone systems through Joint Interagency Task Force 401. It described those capabilities as protection for forward-deployed forces against hostile drones.
The 25,000 total therefore combines offensive systems, maritime platforms and counter-drone capabilities.
“DRPM-UxS was established to cut through red tape and put lethal technology directly into the hands of our frontline troops,” Owen West, CEO of Project Agincourt and DRPM-UxS, said in the release.
A broader procurement shift
The department described the deliveries as evidence of a shift away from multiyear development toward faster purchasing and deployment. It said commercial production lines and modular software support that approach.
The release argues that relatively inexpensive systems offer alternatives to costly legacy munitions. It does not provide unit prices, a spending breakdown, or combat-performance data to substantiate the claimed cost advantage.
“In the hands of American warfighters, these low-cost, attritable systems serve as high-volume alternatives to legacy, multi-million-dollar exquisite munitions — flipping the battlefield cost-exchange ratio firmly in favor of the United States,” the news release says.
The initiative also supports plans for the Autonomous Warfare Command, a proposed four-star functional combatant command that the department aims to establish by October 1, 2027.
The Army reported on October 15 that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had signed a memorandum the previous month directing Project Agincourt to lay the groundwork for that command.
The November 4 release says the department will continue deliveries to CENTCOM while expanding the effort to other combatant commands and the broader joint force.
Provided by Dallas Express
