WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dave McCormick and John Fetterman introduced legislation this week requiring the Pentagon to develop a comprehensive autonomous warfare strategy, as U.S. lawmakers intensify pressure on the military to accelerate deployment of low-cost drone systems amid China’s expanding naval and unmanned capabilities.
The proposed Unmanned Autonomous Systems Strategy Act would direct the U.S. Department of Defense to produce an all-domain operational plan covering autonomous air, surface, and undersea systems across the Indo-Pacific and Western Hemisphere.
The measure reflects growing concern in Washington that the United States risks falling behind adversaries in scalable drone warfare, particularly after unmanned systems reshaped combat operations in Ukraine and conflicts across the Middle East.
China’s military modernization campaign has become a central driver behind the legislation. Lawmakers cited Beijing’s expanding drone fleet, naval growth, and investment in anti-access systems designed to limit U.S. military operations in the Pacific.
McCormick described autonomous systems as a strategic inflection point for modern warfare.
“Unmanned and autonomous systems represent the most disruptive shift in military technology since precision-guided munitions and stealth,” McCormick said. “The nation that can field affordable, scalable autonomous systems fastest will have a decisive military advantage.”
The bill would require the Pentagon to evaluate gaps in surveillance, strike operations, anti-submarine warfare, logistics, electronic warfare, and counter-drone capabilities.
It would also mandate a review of deployment infrastructure and force requirements within areas overseen by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, and Southern Command.
The legislation further calls for expanded interoperability with allied nations including Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine, reflecting a broader U.S. strategy of integrating autonomous systems across coalition operations.
Another section focuses on defense manufacturing capacity and supply-chain resilience, directing the Pentagon to identify scalable domestic production opportunities and commercially available drone systems that comply with federal security restrictions on foreign-made technology.
Fetterman linked the proposal to Pennsylvania’s defense sector, which manufactures autonomous and military technology systems tied to aerospace and naval applications.
“Pennsylvania’s defense industry builds some of the best of these systems and we should be putting them to work to keep Americans safe,” Fetterman said.
The legislation also frames autonomous systems as a lower-cost surveillance alternative for counter-narcotics and maritime security operations closer to U.S. borders, where officials say criminal organizations increasingly exploit Caribbean and Pacific trafficking routes.
The proposal has been referred to the Senate for consideration.
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