Pentagon Urged To Prioritize Affordable Counter-Drone Systems As China Ramps Up Kamikaze Arsenal

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The U.S. military needs to dramatically accelerate development of cost-effective counter-drone defenses to address the rapidly growing threat of Chinese attack drones, according to a new Bloomberg Editorial Board opinion piece. The warning comes as China reportedly orders nearly one million kamikaze drones and lessons from Ukraine demonstrate how cheap, expendable drones are reshaping modern warfare.

The skies above Ukraine offer a stark preview of what American forces could face in a Pacific conflict. Russia has unleashed waves of kamikaze drones, decoys, cruise missiles, and ballistic munitions designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, while small first-person-view quadcopters packed with explosives have made traditional battlefield maneuvers nearly impossible.

China’s Massive Drone Production Advantage

China holds a commanding position to exploit drone warfare innovations on an unprecedented scale. The country manufactures 70% of the world’s commercial drones and dominates production of critical components from batteries to motors to magnets. While the People’s Liberation Army debates which unmanned systems to prioritize, one Chinese company has revealed orders for almost a million kamikaze drones to be delivered by next year.

This industrial capacity gives China the ability to produce drone swarms at a scale that could saturate any existing defense system. Recent reports suggest China is scaling production of lightweight loitering munitions while incorporating advanced AI capabilities into combat drones designed to operate as “loyal wingmen” to manned aircraft.

The Cost Asymmetry Problem

The fundamental challenge facing U.S. forces is economic: burning through multimillion-dollar interceptors to destroy drones costing a few thousand dollars each simply isn’t sustainable. The Pentagon needs simpler, more affordable solutions immediately while continuing to develop advanced technology for future drone swarm threats.

Current counter-drone options vary wildly in cost. An M940 20mm round costs just $80, while a Patriot PAC-3 missile runs $4.2 million (52,500 times more expensive). The military requires long-range sensors to detect incoming attacks early and command-and-control systems that can decide within seconds which countermeasures to deploy.

Pentagon Response Taking Shape

The Defense Department’s fiscal 2026 budget requests $3.1 billion for counter-drone capabilities across all services, though some of this funding depends on passage of a broader reconciliation bill. The Pentagon is spending $7.4 billion to procure counter-drone defenses in the current fiscal year, more than 50% higher than a decade ago.

In recent months, the military has begun working more closely with startups and commercial providers to clear red tape for technology and concentrate counter-drone efforts under a single task force. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in August the formation of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to replace the slower-moving Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office.

What Needs to Happen Now

The military must build much larger stockpiles of inexpensive munitions to complement advanced interceptors like Standard and Patriot missiles. These could include cannon shells and ammunition enhanced with proximity fuses, which reduce the need for direct hits, as well as rockets and disposable interceptor drones.

After spending billions on research into directed-energy weapons like lasers and high-powered microwaves, the military should quickly decide which systems work best and commit to wider production. Research should continue into AI-powered command-and-control systems for rapid response and more sensitive long-range passive sensors to track incoming threats.

The Pentagon also needs to accept it won’t intercept all threats. Investments in passive defenses are essential: hardening aircraft shelters, deploying decoys, installing camouflage, and adding armor, nets, and cages to vehicles. The U.S. will still need its own advanced drone capabilities to take on peer adversaries like China, but without more effective and affordable defenses, American forces may not even get in the fight.

DroneXL’s Take

The Bloomberg Editorial Board’s assessment aligns with what we’ve been reporting for months: the drone warfare revolution happening in Ukraine isn’t a preview of future conflict—it’s a real-time demonstration of how modern wars will be fought. The Pentagon’s response, while heading in the right direction with increased funding and the new Joint Interagency Task Force 401, still feels reactive rather than proactive.

What’s particularly concerning is the timeline. China is ordering a million kamikaze drones for delivery by 2026, while the U.S. is still working through bureaucratic restructuring and budget debates. Ukraine is producing over 1.3 million drones annually out of necessity, demonstrating what’s possible when survival is on the line. American military planners should be asking themselves: if Ukraine can mobilize that kind of production capacity under wartime stress, what could China accomplish with its massive industrial base in peacetime preparation?

The cost asymmetry problem is real and getting worse. When Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a $24 million Russian Tor missile system with a donated FPV drone, they illustrated why traditional air defense economics no longer work. The Pentagon needs to embrace a portfolio approach: expensive interceptors for high-value threats, cheap munitions and directed energy for drone swarms, and hardened defenses for critical assets.

The most important lesson from Ukraine? Speed matters. Drone technology is evolving faster than acquisition cycles, with innovations in autonomous guidance, fiber-optic control, and AI-powered coordination appearing monthly. Any counter-drone strategy built on five-year development timelines is obsolete before it reaches the field.

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