The Pentagon Wants $54 Billion for Drones, Up From $226 Million. Does It Need a Four-Star for Robots?
The Pentagon is asking for $54.6 billion for autonomous warfare next year — up from about $226 million this year. That same week, Secretary Hegseth announces a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, the 12th combatant command in American history, and Ukraine says drones caused nearly all of the roughly 35,000 Russian casualties it counted in March. Mike and Neal ask whether the United States is finally admitting that the next century of war belongs to machines, and whether a new four-star command is the right way to get there.
They walk through what was announced at Quantico — a command…
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