The US plans to produce two thousand drones in two years
29 August, 2023 US Army soldier launches a drone. Photo credits: US Army. The US plans to produce about two thousand drones in two years to counter China.
The Drive reported on this. According to the Pentagon, this approach will help the United States to counter China's rapid military progress. Within the Replicator program, the defense industry will transfer about two thousand unmanned aerial vehicles for various purposes to the US armed forces to conduct a large-scale war.
XQ-58 experimental stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
Photo credits: US Air Force
Drones should be cheap, technologically advanced, and lethal, with advanced artificial intelligence tools to make independent decisions. The Pentagon is aware of the numerical superiority of the People's Liberation Army in the surface, submarine, aviation, and missile components. New unmanned systems should be designed with an eye to the future.
The advantages of such systems are that the United States will be able to reduce the number of people on the front lines and ensure the confident destruction of targets, as well as conducting reconnaissance. The United States is analyzing the experience of using drones in the war in Ukraine in great detail to create optimal systems in the future with the involvement of private and state-owned manufacturers.
A rendering of a low-cost attributable Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) for the US Air Force. Photo credits: US Air Force
The Pentagon is also promoting the idea of creating air support UAVs that will be controlled from the main aircraft.
These technologies are planned to be used on new generation aircraft - NGAD - that will change the way future air combat is perceived. The United States has not yet launched the production of this drone type, but the design work is ongoing. Militarnyi previously reported that the Netherlands was increasing orders for MQ-9 Reaper drones as part of strengthening patrol capabilities.
The country's government has decided to increase the order for MQ-9 drones from four to eight UAVs.
The Netherlands has already received four MQ-9 Reaper systems along with control stations in 2022.