Pentagon wants $54B for drones, more than most nations’ military budgets

The Pentagon's $54 billion request for drone programs in its next budget dwarfs the entire military expenditure of most nations—more than the annual defense budgets of all but nine countries. This sum, representing a 150% increase from last decade's average, signals a definitive pivot to unmanned warfare. To put it in perspective, the requested outlay is 2.3 times the entire military budget of North Korea, and it outperforms #4's entire civilian drone market by a factor of 20. The funding will accelerate development of autonomous swarms and long-endurance reconnaissance craft, reshaping how the U.S. projects force without risking pilots.