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Pentagon Considers Cutting Weapons to Fund Drones
The Pentagon's top technologist said the department would consider reducing spending on conventional weapons systems if Congress does not approve $350 billion in reconciliation funding. The package is intended to accelerate purchases of drones and autonomous systems.
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If Congress does not approve $350 billion in reconciliation funding, the Pentagon will consider cutting spending on traditional weapons systems to protect drone purchases, the department's top technologist said Friday. Emil Michael, under secretary of defense for research and engineering, made the comments at the Hudson Institute.
He said the department would make trade-offs against "exquisite weapons and systems" if the funding does not come through.
The $350 billion package includes funding for autonomous systems, mine-detection systems, and drones. Michael said the Pentagon would not be able to buy as much or move as fast on what he called the "AI arsenal" without the additional money. The White House fiscal 2027 budget request included $1.15 trillion in base discretionary funding and the separate $350 billion reconciliation portion.
Several key modernization programs were placed in the reconciliation section.
Republican appropriators indicated June 9 that they saw little chance of passing a defense reconciliation agreement. Michael said the department would continue to make its case to lawmakers. He noted that Congress controls appropriations and that the Pentagon would work within whatever funding is provided.
