The Pentagon has launched a massive $54 bln competition to build up to 300,000 low cost combat drones, as modern wars in Ukraine and the Middle East reshape military strategy.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/06/01/pentagon-contest-has-companies-compete-supply-cheap-killer-drones/Officials say the goal is to rapidly scale cheap, expendable flying weapons by turning startups, hobbyists, and tech firms into defense suppliers, marking one of the biggest shifts in U.S. warfare development in decades.From drone racers to golf tech companies, anyone could now be building Americas next battlefield arsenal - the only condition is they must build the Shahed-like drone under $200k per unit.Amerimutts finally try to catch up, they no longer laugh at "flying lawnmowers" xDEven with this push for "low-cost" US drones, unit prices will likely remain far higher than Russias Geran-2 (Shahed derivative). Gerans, built with cheap Chinese component cost $20k each. US versions face higher labor and electronics/material costs - often 10x more expensive despite similar roles and specs.
>$54B>could house every muttmerican>"low cost"
If only there was some ally who does low cost combat drones and shieeettt.Oh well, going to award the contract to a company invested in by Trump's son.
>>536312452About time these mutts mass-produce drones after their effectiveness in Ukraine and Lebanon
>>536312452$180,000 per unitdisposable munitionslow cost surewhatever you say >>536312502Not quite. Even if we assume only 50% of the population as adults, and then halve the again for two parent households, that's still only like $660 per household. That's not going to build shit.But do
>>536312452>Low cost Not happening.Ever.Absolutely nobody regardless of how high their opinion is of America thinks American weapons are affordable because it's just not part of the design process.
>>536312452https://insideunmannedsystems.com/drone-dominance-program-qualifies-48-companies-for-gauntlet-2-trials/>Ultimately DDP plans to spend $1.1 billion procuring 300,000 FPV drones from top-performers in Gauntlet trials.300000 FPV drones. Not Shaheeds. For $ 1.1 billion.$53b is total cost of all new unmanned programs including this.
>>536312751So far Gauntlet trial produces 30k FPV drones for $5k per unit. Extremely expensive too. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/03/drone-dominance-pentagon-to-order-30000-one-way-drones-in-next-few-days/Russian FPVcosts $300-$800 typical (often $500 using Chinese components)https://trap.org.ua/en/publications/game-changing-drones-who-manufactures-russian-fpv-drones/Still x10 cheaper
>>536312452>54blm>300k>low costAmericans are fucking retarded and totally mindraped by the mic
>>536312452>mutt industrial complex>low cost
>>536313011>The Pentagon anticipates spending $5,000 per drone in phase one of the program, which for 30,000 drones would come to $150 million. However, it hopes to get prices down to $2,000 per unit over the lifetime of the effort, Metz said.That's still trial phase purchase. 30000 batch is for further testing at military units level.$2000 per unit without Chinese components sounds ok
>>536313122>$2000 per unit without Chinese components sounds okIt would be a great achievement but they would need to scale up to millions units to get such a low unit price and they plan only 300k units. Russia builds 7 mln FPV drones a year now xD
>low cost combat drones>in migaSo they are going to cost a million each, right? Well, in fact they will be cheaper than the ones being used right now, probably 10+ M each.
>>536313172>Russia builds 7 mln FPV drones a year now xDRussian military expenditures and production are fully classified unlike US, it's all speculation.
>>536313247>>536312751
>>536313122>hopesHopes do not fill Isreal wallets, anon.
>>536312696>calculating according to absolute population numbers
>>536312452Was listening to a report about how the US army is ~50 billion dollar in the hole, and can't afford basic shit.It's unironically over for the mutt empire.
10 years too late and 10x the price. MURRICA
>>536312452>the only condition is they must build the Shahed-like drone under $200k per unit
>>536312452>the only condition is they must build the Shahed-like drone under $200k per unit.They should be pushing for around 20k a drone
>>536313848>They should be pushing for around 20k a droneI could build a Shahed-like drone with 10k if they would give me the explosives first, but I'm a convicted felon so their loss.
>>53631245254 billion for 300,000 drones>We've already lost if we spend that much on disposable drones.
>>536314115>We've already lost if we spend that much on disposable drones.You have no idea how much we waste every year in the Miliatary, and on Fraud, and on serving the fucking deadbeat scumbag veterans of this country.
>>536312452This is old news, and it went to private contractors because of significant brain drain in the Pentagon since Pete Kegsbreath Secretary of Grindr fired every single smart person in that building.It came after there was unidentified drone swarms that were immune to electrical jamming were running exercises for hours over nuclear bases and the base where Pete and Kash live back in March.We are years behind in the drone game. Years behind in satellites. We can't catch up, this was just a payday for the military industrial complex.
>>536312452200k per drone lolI see the cold war-era boomers are yet to retire
>>536313848>They should be pushing for around 20k a dronepls think of the poor military industrial complex
>>536312452>54bln for 300 000 "cheap" dronesThat's like 200 000 per drone
>>536312452These weapons are only going to be used on american citizens that commit thought crimes against a foreign nation that controls the military and ic. Americans are not allowed to gaze upon pharoah, the living god.Americans never voted for trumps 10 trillion dollar war. Btw, boots paychecks are in danger of bouncing, time for more fraud or taxpayer theft an gunpoint as per usual.Another glorious day under Queen Adelson of America and antiIsrael.
>>536314533The 54 billion isn't being spent to directly manufacture the drones technically, just the R&D cost to Raytheon and cohorts. We will not be getting 200k drones, and they will be designed as cheaply as possible with satellite integration, because that's what China has.
>>536312502We are ran by richfags who have no concept of what a lot of money is.
>>536314628Maybe we build a state owned startup instead of funneling more money into the retards who made our current overprice overengineered toys?
>>536314668That would help if the state weren't corrupt and filled with sycophants and evangelical death cultist-robed Zionists babbling about the Third Temple and the return of Christ.
/thread xD
>>536314261>Years behind in satellites.Starlink is decades ahead of everyone else.
>>536313848build it with cardboard like the japanese
>>536314628>>536312751
>>536312452>$54 billion"Say it with the respect it deserves .."the Pork barrels are a rolling
so, iran really won it seemswow
>>536312452The US would be better off spending half of that building thier own fpv mini drones specifically designed with explosives integrated and varients with optical spools .. cheap mass deployment is going to be far more valuable than bigger drones .. because any future war is going to have many proxy theatres .. so the US will need to be sending these drones to those places supporting allied troops
>>536312502You cound easily produce low cost prefab houses for less. You'd have enough money to to tear down vacant and dilapidated houses and put the new structures in. The jews in banks don't want this. They want you as a rent slave.
>>536315469SpaceX has thrown up hundreds of Pentagon satellites (larger variants of Starlink) over the last few years, their launch cadence is crazy fast, China is nowhere close, no-one is.
>>536314668>Gov money for a startup you say .. !??!
>>536315469Musk is global class and China aligned, he was with the US delegation. China has been developing satellite hijacking tech for years. Our billionaires have been sitting on their megayachts with bugout warehouses for weeks, Peter Thiel fled the country already. After the SpaceX rugpull there will be no retirement funds, it's been game over for a while.>>536315570They didn't split up the money evenly and say "Here you go hobbyists, billions of dollars!" Raytheon, Anduril, Lockheed are all in DAWG trials. These are people that work together.
>>536312452IF they'd want to make it low cost, they'd make drones out of foam sealant like Ukrainians do.Hell, if they'd like fancy, they'd do thixomolding of magnesium. Nothing about 54 BILLIONS of dollars sounds cheap.
>>536315823>boxes, ticky tacky boxeshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUoXtddNPAM
>>536316076>Raytheon, Anduril, Lockheed are all in DAWG trialsNot in this FPV program
>>536316382Several of those startups are related to Raytheon, the private funding for Ascent is directly linked to Mitt Romney founded consulting firms. I'm not sure you understand what "cohorts" means. You can follow the money on that entire list yourself.
>>536312452> The Pentagon has launched a massive $54 bln competition to build up to 300,000 low cost combat dronesIt will cost $0.5 trillion, fewer than 10,000 drones will be built, less than half will work, and entire small towns will be sprout in deepest Argentina.
Kushner has strong ties to a UAV company
>>536312452anduril has one that is fired from a howitzer, deploys in flight, and uses ai to hunt missile launchers. it has a 50 mile range and is not jammable. costs $3k each.
Hey, chat, is this real? Will someone post the link to SAM.gov where this is being offered for bid, or are we just going to run with hyperbole and fan-fic based on some retarded clickbait?
