How drone warfare fares in the 2026 budget

The Pentagon wants to spend more than 20 percent more next year to research, develop, test and evaluate new technologies—but that increase would come from the Trump administration’s massive tax and budget reconciliation bill, leaving funding levels flat if Congress doesn’t pass it. And a lot of drone spending will likely hinge on that one-time funding. The Defense Department quietly delivered its budget proposal documents to Congress on Tuesday with proposed spending for 2