On Thursday, Representative Pat Harrigan of the United States Congress introduced the “SkyFoundry Act of 2025” (referred to as the SkyFoundry Act) to establish a fully U.S.-led drone design, testing, and production process at the Pentagon. This legislation also calls for the creation of a base capable of producing 1 million small drones annually to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial capabilities and deter and defeat drone threats from China and Russia on the battlefield.
Harrigan, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a China hawk in Congress, stated that drones have become a critical tool in modern warfare. With China and Russia deploying drones on a large scale in battle, Harrigan emphasized the importance of the United States taking action to reduce risks to American military forces. The SkyFoundry Act aims to enhance America’s capabilities in designing, testing, and mass-producing drones to maintain a leading position on future battlefields.
According to Harrigan, enhancing the production capacity of U.S. drones is crucial for national security. He highlighted that over 80% of casualties in modern warfare are drone-related, but the U.S. lacks significant production capacity, exposing its forces to danger. The SkyFoundry Act aims to address this vulnerability by establishing domestic capabilities for designing, testing, and producing millions of drones annually, excluding China’s influence on the supply chain.
The legislation will establish a government-owned innovation and testing base, as well as a drone production park, both operated by the Army Materiel Command to expedite the research, testing, and deployment of small drone systems.
The innovation base’s mission is to integrate lessons from global conflicts and drive the rapid evolution of U.S. small drone systems’ design. The production park aims to produce 1 million small drones annually. The Act aims to leverage existing U.S. military industrial base for rapid research and large-scale production to meet operational needs.
The legislation plans to set up small drone production facilities within existing U.S. military arsenals that meet specific size and geographical conditions. For instance, the facility must cover an area of 8 million square feet and be located within 50 miles of four states. The Red River Army Depot in Texas is speculated to be a potential site location.
Additionally, the Act provides Defense Department leaders with the authority to bypass or streamline certain regulations and approval processes to avoid delays caused by traditional contracts and procurement intricacies. The provisions also allow for potential expansion of the plan to other autonomous weapon systems in the future.
The U.S. Congress has included related provisions of the SkyFoundry Act in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to pave the way for further independent legislation of the SkyFoundry Act.
Currently, the SkyFoundry Act has gained support from multiple members of Congress and is expected to undergo further discussion and deliberation in future defense budget proposals. China is projected to produce over 10 million drones by 2026.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced the Replicator program in April this year to produce thousands of armed drones to counteract China’s military presence in the western Pacific. As of August, the program has deployed hundreds of drone systems across the military, but official information on its status and progress remains limited.
Harrigan’s aides pointed out that the difference between the SkyFoundry Act and the Replicator program lies in the former’s focus on cost-effective, disposable small drones rather than a broader range of autonomous systems. They added that the legislation aims to establish a manufacturing infrastructure capable of rapidly expanding small drone production.