Pentagon needs $50B for mass drone production, Hegseth says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is seeking approximately $50 billion in reconciliation funding to expand production of autonomous weapons and robotic systems from thousands of units to millions. Speaking at AUSA's Project Agincourt panel on October 14, 2026, he presented the funding as necessary to increase the scale of fielded unmanned capabilities. The request is separate from $53.6 billion proposed for the fiscal 2027 Drone Dominance initiative, which includes unmanned procurement, counter-drone systems, contested logistics and collaborative autonomy. These remain funding requests dependent on congressional action rather than completed procurement awards.