Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George has submitted a $4.3 billion unfunded wish list to lawmakers, highlighting critical funding gaps in munitions, air defense, and small drone capabilities.
Adapting to the Evolving Character of War
„As seen on battlefields all over the world, the character of war is evolving rapidly,” Gen. George wrote in the Unfunded Priorities List (UPL), obtained by Breaking Defense. „Our Army must adapt to meet the challenges ahead, and this is reflected in the Army’s FY26 President’s Budget (PB) submission.”
Key Funding Priorities:
- Drones and Counter-UAS: $581 million to acquire small drones and counter-unmanned aerial systems.
- Advanced Manufacturing: $46 million to reduce reliance on „unsteady supply chains” and improve the „security posture” through capabilities like 3D printing.
- Precision Strike Missile (PrSM): $324 million to enhance the PrSM line.
- Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3): $300 million to modernize the PAC-3 line.
Stockpile Concerns Echo National Debate
While the Army chief didn’t elaborate on the specific impact of additional PrSM and PAC-3 funding on readiness, weapon stockpiles are a current point of focus. President Donald Trump recently stated the U.S. would continue sending mostly „defensive weapons” to Ukraine, following reports of halted shipments of some air defense missiles and other precision munitions due to stockpile concerns.
155mm Artillery Shell Production Faces Delays
While the UPL didn’t mention additional funds for other munitions, the Army is working to shore up stockpiles of weapons like 155mm artillery shells. The goal of producing 100,000 rounds by October is now expected to be delayed by six months, with the Army currently producing about 40,000 rounds per month and not expecting to hit the target until spring 2026.
Army spokesman Steven Warren cited multiple factors for the delay, as „Pieces and parts of that artillery shell are manufactured in multiple locations across the country, and then they come together for final assembly, so any one of those points along the way can create a delay so there is no one we’re not going to finger one single spot”.
AI and Autonomy Investments
In a separate budget document also obtained by Breaking Defense, the Army sought $21.6 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding for five AI and autonomy projects:
- $5 million to demo a robotic repair system for artillery.
- $5 million for natural language processing of intelligence data.
- $5 million to counter adversarial AI.
- $3.2 million for signals intelligence algorithms.
- $3.4 million to strengthen its AI development „pipeline.”
