Hegseth Wants a Four-Star Command for Drones and Robots by 2027. Congress Should Fund It
The Pentagon's new Autonomous Warfare Command would put drone and robotic warfare under one roof, at four-star rank. The battlefield lessons of Ukraine and the Middle East say it is overdue, but the details, and Congress's approval, still have to come.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 15, 2026 | 6-min read The next war will not wait for the Pentagon's paperwork. That was the message Wednesday when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the civilian leaders of the military services shared a stage at the Association of the United States Army's annual meeting to explain a new four-star command built for drones, robots and unmanned ships [1][2]. The goal is an Autonomous Warfare Command, or AUTOWARCOM, standing by Oct. 1, 2027 [3]. In our view, it is the right idea at the right time, and Congress should pay for it. Key Takeaways Hegseth said the department plans to field hundreds of thousands of one-way attack drones this year, and millions in coming years [1]. The new command, prepared through a short-term effort called Project Agincourt, would lead the joint force in unmanned and autonomous warfare [1][3]. The Pentagon's 2027 budget proposal asks for $53.6 billion for autonomous systems procurement, domestic production and advanced capabilities [3]. Hegseth is also seeking more than $50 billion for autonomy and robotics through a reconciliation bill whose path is uncertain [2]. Here is why this matters to