The United States Army intends to acquire at least a million unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the next two to three years, with annual purchases expected to range from half a million to several million units, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll announced in an interview with Reuters.

"We expect to procure at least a million drones in the next two to three years. And we expect that within one to two years from now, we'll know that, in the event of a conflict, we'll be able to activate a supply chain robust and deep enough to produce as many drones as needed." "Driscoll said.

According to him, the army is changing its approach to drones, viewing them as expendable ammunition rather than elite equipment. Currently, annual procurement amounts to approximately 50 units. The plan takes into account the lessons of the conflict in Ukraine and aims to develop domestic production to reduce dependence on China.

The minister emphasized collaboration with companies whose drones have commercial applications and the avoidance of concentrating production at a single facility. Legislators are proposing to establish a factory in Texas to produce a million drones per year, but the Army prefers to spread the funding out.