Drone fever is hitting new heights, and if the Senate’s latest version of the National Defense Authorization Act becomes law, the Pentagon will have a brand-new combatant command dedicated to autonomous systems.
Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 18-9 to advance the FY 2027 NDAA, authorizing $1.14T in spending and setting the stage for the creation of the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Command, according to a summary of the legislation published on Thursday.
The new command (we’re thinking RASCOM?) would be led by a four-star general and focus on speeding up the acquisition and fielding of autonomous systems. Plus, it would be the first new combatant command since Space Command was reestablished in 2019. President Trump sure has a knack for this, huh?
Need for speed: The goal of the command, SASC staffers told reporters last week, is to solve some of the hurdles that have prevented the more widespread adoption of autonomous systems by centralizing acquisition and operations.
After years of debate, “What we ended up with was a four-star combatant command that we think will help to integrate, go fast, and transition the force generation of unmanned systems to services,” a staffer said. “The view of the members was a scenario where the character warfare is changing so quickly that we need some measure of centralization here.”
“It’s not a new domain. Uncrewed, unmanned, whatever you want to call them, are in every domain, sub-surface, surface, and aerial, and probably more in the future,” they added.
Buying power: The draft bill would also give RASCOM (we’re going with that until further notice) additional test and evaluation authorities and “limited” acquisition powers to buy autonomous systems through drone marketplaces.
- That includes the Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) Marketplace and the Army’s UAS Marketplace, which went live last week.
- The bill also authorizes an increase of more than $1B for maritime unmanned systems.
The new COCOM is a big deal because, historically, acquiring unmanned systems was the purview of each service branch, which focused on integrating the technology in ways that suited their respective requirements and missions.
However, some think it should stay that way.
“The proposed combatant command is ill-conceived. Organizing operational control around a class of technology would sub-optimize joint force operations,” retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula wrote in Forbes this morning. “It would organize around the tool rather than the effect, create a new operational seam when the US military needs greater integration, and risk building a bureaucracy around technology rather than accelerating its practical application in combat.”
“The better answer is to field autonomous and remotely operated capabilities faster, integrate them into every domain, and ensure they are employed by the commanders responsible for achieving operational outcomes,” he added. “Autonomy will be central to the future of warfare. That is exactly why it must be integrated into joint force operations—not segregated outside of them.”
Get your popcorn ready for the debate over this when the bill hits the Senate floor for consideration…we’re looking for some spicy takes.