DOD Acquisitions Chief: Counter-UAS in High Demand, Requests Total 100K a Month

A Department of Defense official said that demand for counter-drone technology is as high as that for 155mm artillery shells.

Speaking at a panel in a recent Reagan National Defense Forum, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Bill LaPlante, a 2023 Wash100 awardee and a past Potomac Officers Club speaker, said the high demand for counter-unmanned aerial systems is about to go 100,000 a month, comparable to the demand for the artillery shells seen a year ago.

With the increasing need for such technology, the DOD has been calling on companies involved in manufacturing of loitering munitions, counter-UAS capabilities and other similar technologies to ramp up their production, DefenseNews reported.

With the growing use of new military technologies in recent conflicts, including the Ukraine-Russia war and Hamas’ bombing of Israel, the defense department has been balancing helping the private sector develop the latest military equipment and supplying needed equipment to allies.

In September, it delivered “truck-sized” 3D printers to help the Ukrainian military produce spare parts for the M777 Howitzer systems and other components

In March, it launched an organization focused on weapon systems development, ensuring the U.S. continues to be a leader in weapons production.