Drone warfare: Pentagon plans to increase the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group budget 242-fold

For autonomous drone warfare, the Pentagon plans a 242-fold increase in fiscal year 2027 – the current budget still allocates 191.5 million euros. In 2027, 46.47 billion euros are to go to the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG), which Pete Hegseth’s department intends to expand massively.

Apart from the funds for the traditional US armed services, the sum is among the largest single items in the coming budget. It is to finance the purchase of around 200,000 autonomous systems. Planned items include low-cost, sensor-based and AI-controlled autonomous platforms whose hardware can be used equally for defence, homeland security and public safety.

Petraeus calls for a doctrine for drone warfare

Former four-star General David Petraeus warns against unbalanced planning in a commentary on the platform “The Hill”. In his view, a common US doctrine for autonomous formations at large scale is missing. What is needed, he argues, are entirely new organisations, fundamentally different forms of command and rapid feedback between operators, commanders and engineers. Petraeus cites Ukraine as an example: there, continuous adaptation has taken place, while the US has not yet changed its operational concepts, force structure, training and leader development, or its feedback loops accordingly.

In his view, at least five per cent of the funds should be reserved for doctrine, training and force design, and regular reports on adaptation cycles are also needed. Otherwise, Petraeus concludes, the investment will bring no advantage, merely expensive inventory.

The Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) was founded at the end of 2025 as a Pentagon unit. It is to accelerate the development, testing and introduction of autonomous systems, drones and counter-drone technologies. Autonomous systems are becoming increasingly important in the US military: General Francis L. Donovan, Commander of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), recently ordered the establishment of the SOUTHCOM Autonomous Warfare Command.

This command is to deploy fully autonomous, semi-autonomous and unmanned platforms and systems in SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility. It is intended to support the priorities of the US President’s National Security Strategy, the US Secretary of Defense’s lines of effort, regional security cooperation and operational dominance.