The Department of War announced on 4 November that the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) has delivered more than 25,000 unmanned and counter-unmanned systems to U.S. Central Command this year through an effort worth about $782 million. The count comprises more than 1,300 one-way attack aircraft, more than 100 unmanned surface and underwater vessels, and more than 24,000 counter-drone systems delivered through Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The release frames the deliveries as groundwork for an Autonomous Warfare Command targeted for 1 October 2027.
Counter-drone systems make up over 90% of the count
Of the 25,000 total, the offensive share is limited to more than 1,300 one-way attack aircraft and more than 100 unmanned vessels; the remaining 24,000-plus are counter-drone systems delivered through Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The release describes them as 'high-volume alternatives to legacy, multi-million-dollar exquisite munitions', and Owen West, who leads Project Agincourt and DRPM-UxS, said the organisation 'was established to cut through red tape'. No unit prices, spending breakdown or combat results are given; deliveries will continue to CENTCOM and expand to other combatant commands.
The concentration on CENTCOM tracks the course of the Iran war covered in earlier editions. AP's satellite analysis reported Iranian strikes damaging 26 US sites and cheap drones in volume unsettling the assumptions behind fixed bases, and the counter-drone-heavy mix reads as a response. At the same time, the acting head of the Defense Innovation Unit has said mass production of cheap drones is 'basically from zero', with only three of eleven firms delivering their full share of the first 30,000-unit buy, so the 1,300-plus offensive figure reflects the industrial base as it stands.
From Project Agincourt to an Autonomous Warfare Command
In September, Secretary Hegseth signed a memo directing Project Agincourt to prepare the pathway to an Autonomous Warfare Command, and an Army article on 15 October quoted him saying the command 'has always been the end state'. The concept is a four-star functional combatant command, with establishment targeted for 1 October 2027. This release, by putting numbers behind a portfolio manager set up outside the regular acquisition lanes, builds the case for the new organisation on delivered volume.
Institutionally, the stage is a directive memo and a published delivery record; standing up a combatant command would require congressional funding and a revision of the Unified Command Plan. With Congress returning on 9 November and FY2027 NDAA negotiations resuming, the command's status and budget will be in play during the session. Alongside the lawsuit seeking to halt the Secretary's 'future of warfare' panel (previous edition), outside scrutiny of the new Secretary-level bodies is rising.
Sources
Primary sources
- 1
DRPM-UxS Deliver Over 25,000 Autonomous and Counter-Unmanned Systems to CENTCOM AOR
U.S. Department of War · External site - 3
Project Agincourt: Pathway to the Autonomous Warfare Command (Secretary of War memorandum)
U.S. Department of War · External site
Reporting
- 2
Pentagon Reports More Than 25,000 Drone And Counter-Drone Systems Delivered To CENTCOM
Source checked 5 Nov 2026
WBAP / Dallas Express · External site
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AI & Security Observatory（2026-11-04）「米国防総省、中央軍に無人・対無人システム2.5万超を納入と発表 約7.8億ドル、自律戦争軍への布石」『AI & Security Observatory』、第1.0版、最終更新2026-11-05。https://ai-security-observatory.org/ja/brief/brief-20261105-02/
AI & Security Observatory (2026-11-04). Pentagon says its unmanned-systems portfolio manager delivered 25,000-plus unmanned and counter-unmanned systems to CENTCOM for about $782 million . AI & Security Observatory, version 1.0. Updated 2026-11-05. https://ai-security-observatory.org/en/brief/brief-20261105-02/
Version 1.0 · Publication date 4 Nov 2026 · Updated 5 Nov 2026
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