The production capacity of unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States is difficult to meet the needs of actual combat

If the United States falls into war one day in the future, the US military may find that its military industry cannot provide enough small and micro drones. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows, UAVs, which are cheap and easy to mass produce, have become as important armaments as artillery shells. Their applications are wide and their consumption is amazing.

According to official data released by Ukraine last year, the country's frontline troops consume an average of 10000 small drones per month. At present, Ukraine's drone production capacity is expected to reach 1 million units per year, supplemented by imported and foreign donated drones. During the same period in the United States, the drone production capacity was less than half of that in Ukraine. Statistics from different calibers show that the number of small and micro unmanned aerial vehicles that the United States can produce per month fluctuates between "thousands" and "hundreds".

Brian Clark, a researcher at the Hudson Institute, a think tank in the United States, believes that the lack of policy incentives is one of the causes of this situation. He said, "Production will continue to hover at a low level until the US military mainstream the concept of drone warfare

The US Defense One website recently published an article commenting on the shortcomings of the US military industry in the emerging field of drones. The article states that the US military is the biggest potential customer for drones, but has been slow to respond and has not provided sufficient support to related companies. So far, only the US Army has allocated funds specifically for the procurement of small and micro unmanned aerial vehicles in its "short-range reconnaissance" program. Due to insufficient orders, American companies find it difficult to gain an advantage in competition with foreign counterparts.

On the other hand, drones manufactured in the United States are also much more expensive than foreign competitors. According to data released by the US Defense Innovation Group, the cost of domestically produced drones in the US is three to five times that of mainstream products in the international market, largely due to differences in component prices. Soren Monroe Anderson, co-founder of the American drone startup Neros, said, "In the end, the cost you pay for American components... may be 100 times higher than foreign components

The high prices have hindered the popularity of drones in the US military. The website of the Federation of American Scientists states that a quadcopter purchased by the US Army is priced at $39800, and the cheapest model on the whitelist is also priced at $14000. A commander who requested anonymity stated that the high prices and limited budget put pressure on him; Another US soldier said that he would feel "heartbroken" if expensive drones were lost or damaged.

When cost-effectiveness becomes the determining factor, purchasing foreign drones is an inevitable choice, "said a military advisor who provides advice to the Ukrainian military. American made drones often fail in Ukraine due to electronic interference; In contrast, drones produced in other countries may also be disrupted, but due to their low unit price, they can be purchased in large quantities for replacement at any time.

In theory, the US military could still procure drones from across the Atlantic, but the situation for European companies seems even worse. Hendrik Bodick, an industry researcher at the analysis firm "Drone Industry Insights," told Defense One that there are 13 drone companies in the United States with over 500 employees, while similar companies in Europe have an average of only over 20 employees.

The website "Business Insider" in the United States states that for a long time, American military companies have been known for developing and producing large long endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, which have complex processes, low production efficiency, and are usually priced in the tens of millions of dollars. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows that the party with cutting-edge technology does not necessarily have the upper hand; Having more drone inventory and being able to compensate for losses ahead through large-scale production is a necessary condition for winning the 'drone war'.

Some US military personnel believe that the most direct way to rapidly increase the domestic drone production capacity in the United States is to increase demand. David Michaelson, the head of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Group's proprietary investment portfolio, said that contractors hope the government can place large orders, but government departments do not need to invest separately in this industry, otherwise it may cause waste. Earlier this year, US Army Chief of Staff Randy George said at a seminar, "Once we (the military) demonstrate a demand for more products and military companies are willing to produce them, prices will continue to decline

The budget document shows that from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2026, the US Army has only ordered 936 military quadcopter drones. The military hopes that the legislative body will provide an additional $25 million to add at least 1700 orders. In the fiscal year 2024, the US Army also applied for a $21.8 million grant to bid for the procurement of non military standard drones.

Neros' Monroe Anderson said that although it is difficult for the United States to eliminate the disadvantage of its industrial base in the short term, as long as orders reach the hundreds of millions of dollars level, "there are still many things that can be done to improve the production and manufacturing of drones". Clark from the Hudson Institute emphasized that even top companies may not necessarily have the ability to invest in key components. "Some components are not easily available in the United States, which raises a question: are we overly reliant on foreign supply chains

Bodik from "Insight into the Drone Industry" proposed another plan: to have the US military procure drones from Ukraine. "Now, they (Ukraine) are doing their best to improve the UAV production capacity." He said, "When the Russia-Ukraine conflict ends, there will be huge capacity release... At that time, in return, Ukraine can help solve the problems in Europe and even the United States."