US President Donald Trump said the United States is preparing to introduce a new generation of military drones, claiming they will be significantly more advanced than comparable systems currently in use around the world.
Speaking in Baltimore, Maryland, Trump said the United States was developing a new arsenal of military equipment, including advanced drones as well as new ships, aircraft and missiles. He emphasized that all of the systems would be manufactured in the United States under the “Made in the USA” label.
Trump said the world would witness an unprecedented level of technological advancement when the new drones are unveiled, describing them as among the most sophisticated systems of their kind and suggesting they would be difficult for other countries to match.
His comments come as military drones play an increasingly important role in modern warfare, amid rising US losses of aircraft and other aerial equipment during military operations against Iran.
The US Congressional Research Service has reported that American forces have lost more than 80 aircraft during operations against Iran, including 47 drones, according to the latest available data.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense is moving to expand production of low-cost LUCAS attack drones, with each aircraft estimated to cost around $55,000.
The program is intended to provide large numbers of relatively inexpensive attack drones that could partially replace high-cost munitions and missiles, while incorporating lessons learned from modern warfare about the growing role of unmanned systems.
