US drone industry years from matching Ukraine's wartime output, Pentagon says

Key facts

• The U.S. is years away from matching Ukraine's drone production capabilities.
• Ukraine is expected to produce 6-7 million small attack drones this year.
• The Pentagon's drone program has ordered fewer than 200,000 drones cumulatively.
• New Pentagon regulations mandate that military drones use U.S.-made parts.
• Challenges persist in sourcing critical components like semiconductors for U.S. drone manufacturing.
• Ukrainian drone companies are partnering with U.S. manufacturers to establish domestic production.

The United States is in the early stages of developing a domestic drone industry capable of rivaling Ukraine's wartime production, according to Travis Metz, a Pentagon official overseeing the Drone Dominance Program. Metz stated that Ukraine is on track to produce between six and seven million small attack drones this year, a stark contrast to the Pentagon's cumulative order of just under 200,000 drones by February through its $1.1 billion program.

Metz acknowledged that scaling up production from zero presents significant challenges. The Pentagon has recently implemented stricter rules requiring military drones to be built with American-made parts, with the ultimate goal of a wholly domestic supply chain for small unmanned aircraft systems. However, sourcing difficult components, such as semiconductors, remains a major hurdle for the U.S. industry.

Companies participating in an upcoming test event must ensure their drones do not contain banned parts like Chinese-made brushless motors or battery packs, a more stringent requirement than in earlier phases of the program. Metz noted that a significant portion of drones from the initial phase likely contained Chinese motors.

Despite these challenges, Metz expressed confidence that the U.S. can eventually become a world leader in drone production. To facilitate this, Ukrainian companies invited to a forthcoming test event are required to form joint ventures with U.S. manufacturers, a move designed to transfer battlefield expertise into domestic manufacturing capacity.