The Department of War announced today that this year, the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) has delivered a massive surge of combat-ready, mass-producible unmanned systems and counter-drone capabilities to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), providing operational commanders with immediate, cost-effective tactical lethality across the theater.
Through an investment of approximately $782 million this year, DRPM-UxS has fielded:
- Over 1,300 One-Way Attack (OWA) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), providing precision deep-strike mass.
- Over 100 Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vessels (UUVs), expanding maritime reconnaissance and strike lethality; and
- More than 24,000 Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), establishing a dense, multi-layered defensive shield to protect forward-deployed forces against adversary drone attacks through its counter unit, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401).
These deliveries demonstrate the Department's rapid shift from multi-year developmental pipelines to an agile "Warfighting Acquisition" model. In the hands of American warfighters, these low-cost, attritable systems serve as high-volume alternatives to legacy, multi-million-dollar exquisite munitions—flipping the battlefield cost-exchange ratio firmly in favor of the United States.
"Under Secretary Hegseth's direction, we are moving at the speed of modern combat to equip our forces with decisive, affordable mass," said Owen West, CEO of Project Agincourt and DRPM-UxS. "DRPM-UxS was established to cut through red tape and put lethal technology directly into the hands of our frontline troops. The thousands of systems operating across CENTCOM this year are just the beginning. We will out-innovate, out-build, and out-adapt any adversary on the battlefield. The goal is to scale these capabilities across the Joint Force."
By scaling commercial production lines and deploying modular software baselines, DRPM-UxS is driving a fundamental restructuring of defense procurement. This effort serves as the operational foundation for the Autonomous Warfare Command (AUTOWARCOM), a planned four-star functional combatant command scheduled to stand up by October 1, 2027.
At Secretary Hegseth's direction, DRPM-UxS will sustain continuous deliveries of low-cost, mass-producible unmanned and autonomous systems to CENTCOM while rapidly expanding fielding pipelines to Pacific Command, European Command, and the broader Joint Force.
