US Department of Defense Increases Autonomous Warfare Budget by 24,000%

The US Department of Defense has requested $54.6 billion for the Departmental Autonomous Warfighting Group through its FY2027 budget proposal. This represents an approximately 24,000% increase over the previous year, exceeding the entire Marine Corps budget ($52.8 billion).

The Department of Defense is seeking to elevate this group into a Unified Combatant Command that integrates and coordinates the operation of drones, aircraft, and ships. This is a strategic shift similar to the past establishment of Space Command or Cyber Command.

Following lessons from recent modern warfare, the Department of Defense regards the AI software that drives these systems, rather than the hardware itself, as the core strategic asset. As a result, software performance—rather than physical autonomy—has emerged as the key factor determining strategic advantage.

In this process, friction has arisen with AI company Anthropic. As Anthropic places strict restrictions on the military use of its Claude models, the US Department of Defense is considering designating certain domestic AI companies as supply chain risks, while focusing on securing flexible models that can be deployed in actual combat.

Internationally, concerns over an autonomous weapons race are high, but the United States maintains its position of preserving technological superiority in order to counter China and Russia.