The Case for Treating Drones as Ammunition

Small drones should be reclassified and treated as consumable ammunition by the U.S. Army, rather than as durable equipment. The war in Ukraine demonstrates that drones are expended at a high rate, similar to bullets, and U.S. military logistics should adapt to this reality. Integrating drones into the existing ammunition enterprise would streamline procurement, simplify accountability for soldiers, and eliminate burdensome property loss investigations for expendable assets. This approach would also create predictable demand for the defense industry, stabilizing production and helping to control costs.