Watch DAWG: Where Pentagon’s $55 Billion Drone Gamble Could Go Wrong

BusinessAerospace & DefenseWatch DAWG: Where Pentagon’s $55 Billion Drone Gamble Could Go WrongByDavid Hambling,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I'm a South London-based technology journalist, consultant and authorFollow AuthorApr 22, 2026, 11:26am EDTApr 22, 2026, 11:33am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.The spiralling cost of the U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton shows how drone acquisition can go wrong.U.S. Navy The Pentagon just announced plans to up spending on uncrewed systems by a staggering 24,000%. They aim to boost funding on the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) from $225.9 million in fiscal 2026 to a hefty $54.6 billion in fiscal 2026.What is amazing here is not just the sheer volume of cash–around twice as much as the Air Force spent on new aircraft last year–but the acceleration. The Department of War is going from spending trivial amounts to a mountain on money in a (to them) unknown field. The LA Times calls it “the largest single military funding surge ever.” Is this another Pentagon money pit? Or the only way to ensure that the U.S. will outpace drone superpowers like China? Big Plans For Small Planes The plans were revealed in a briefing for reporters on the FY 2027 budget request on April 21stby Jules “Jay” Hurst III, acting undersecretary of defense, and Space Force Lt. Gen. Steven Whitney.An MQ-9 Reaper, also known as Predator B, saw Predator go from an expendable low-cost platform to an expensive exquisite capabilityGetty ImagesMORE FOR YOUHurst described DAWG as “a pathfinder,” to achieve drone dominance. The emphasis will be on evaluating, modifying and purchasing existing drone systems rather than developing new ones. Whitney said that the money will be spent on a wide range of “new capabilities” which could be rapidly evolved fashion. “It’s not that you’re buying one set baseline and you’re go...