More than 25,000 uncrewed and counter-drone systems were sent to U.S. Central Command during 2026 with roughly $782 million in backing, according to the Pentagon.
Most of the shipments consisted of counter-drone systems, with more than 24,000 units sent through Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to protect forward-deployed troops from drone attacks. Central Command also received more than 1,300 one-way attack drones for long-range precision strikes and over 100 uncrewed surface and underwater vessels for maritime reconnaissance.
According to the Pentagon, production is expanding on commercial assembly lines with modular software to accelerate deliveries. The stated goal is to supply lower-cost systems in large numbers to decrease the need for expensive munitions.
Owen West, chief executive of Project Agincourt and the Pentagon's portfolio manager for unmanned systems, said the systems operating across the command are "just the beginning." The Pentagon plans to expand deliveries to Europe and the Pacific ahead of establishing Autonomous Warfare Command by 1 October 2027.
Also reported by Seapower
