Pentagon shifts toward low-cost drone interceptor systems instead of expensive missiles

The U.S. Army is turning toward low-cost drone interceptor systems to reduce its reliance on expensive interceptor missiles in defense procurement. The new approach plans to invite defense companies to competitive live-fire tests to be held at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

According to information reported by Bloomberg, the initiative is part of the Pentagon's search to prioritize systems that can be produced faster and procured in high volumes, rather than complex and high-cost weapon systems. It is noted that Washington is taking into account lessons learned from the war in Ukraine and conflict zones involving Iran in this assessment.

Lieutenant General Frank Lozano, responsible for the U.S. Army's ammunition modernization, drew attention to the impact of cheap drones on the battlefield, stating, "Ukraine and Iran have clearly shown that relatively cheap drones can impose significant costs on the opposing side and create operational challenges."

Lozano stated that defense companies have submitted approximately 147 different proposals to the U.S. Armed Forces so far, but they want to include more participants in the process. The Army is evaluating proposals not only from firms capable of developing complete interceptor drones but also from suppliers capable of producing critical components for these systems.

The report noted that due to conflicts in the context of Iran, Patriot interceptor missile stocks in the U.S. and Gulf countries have been depleted, and the unit cost of some Patriot missiles can reach up to 4 million dollars. This situation is cited as one of the primary factors accelerating the search for cheaper interceptor tools.

Previously, it was announced that the American company X-Bow Systems had developed an interceptor system called "Buckler" with a unit price of under 100 thousand dollars and had completed flight tests. The company's Chief Executive Officer, Jason Hundley, described the system as "large-scale, affordable capabilities" for the U.S. and its allies.

The Pentagon's search for low-cost systems is also moving forward alongside Washington's agenda to increase defense spending. The Trump administration requested 1.5 trillion dollars for the defense budget on July 30, and the Pentagon announced that it had signed two contracts with major defense companies totaling over 135 billion dollars. Bloomberg also reported in early August that an additional 18.2 billion dollar budget was requested from Congress to replenish missile stocks.