The US Army plans to operate a greater number of unmanned aircraft compared to manned ones, aiming for a substantial increase in drones. This strategic shift aligns with a directive from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for future warfare preparedness. US Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll and Gen. James Rainey described ambitions to equip each division with 1,000 drones within two years. The projected restructuring, which includes cutting crewed helicopter formations, is estimated to cost around $36 billion over five years.
"We believe there's a role for some manned aircraft," Rainey explained, "Big picture-wise, right now, about 90% of the things we're flying have humans in them and 10% don't. And I believe over the next several years, we would like to invert that."
The plans to give every division 1,000 drones within the next two years, he added, speak to the "aggressiveness" with which the Army is going after the new uncrewed objectives.
Earlier this year, Hegseth sent out a memo on strategic transformations within the Army, laying out goals and timelines for the service, including force restructuring and cuts to certain programs and systems that altogether represent one of the largest Army revamps since the end of the Cold War.
The push is estimated to cost around $36 billion over the next five years.
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