Army taps nearly $1B for small counter-drone tech in FY27

The Army’s FY27 budget request seeks $994 million in discretionary funding for small counter-UAS (cUAS), nearly doubling the FY26 amount and backing a 'systems of systems' approach that links expeditionary and fixed platforms, sensors, and effectors to form an interoperable fire-control network. Planned spending includes $414M for operational cUAS, $165M for fixed capabilities, $132M for effectors (800 kinetic, 29 non-kinetic, 24 NGCM/Freedom Eagle-1), $108M for squad- and individual-level systems, $80M for brigade-and-below capabilities, $66M for directed-energy (two Enduring High Energy Lasers), $24M for expeditionary launcher systems, and about $5M for FoCUS logistics. The package responds to cheap drone threats seen in conflicts like Ukraine and Iran-related incidents, emphasizing interoperability and rapid prototyping across a wide range of platforms and technologies.