For decades, America’s Army has been trapped in a cycle of spending billions of taxpayer dollars on outdated systems before they even reach the battlefield. While our soldiers stand ready to defend this country, they are often equipped with technology that belongs in a museum. The Army Transformation Initiative aims to break this cycle, ensuring that every dollar we spend protects the men and women who wear the uniform.

China and Russia have refined the art of leveraging inexpensive, disposable drones and AI-enabled weapons to overwhelm their adversaries. In Ukraine, small, cheap drones have decimated million-dollar vehicles and equipment. Homemade explosives costing just a few hundred dollars have rendered sophisticated armored convoys useless.

Ukraine’s military, with far fewer resources and no navy of its own, crippled and drove away Russia’s Black Sea fleet. All it took were drones that cost less than a single American missile. Our adversaries are learning from these tactics and rapidly adapting their strategies to field low-cost, high-impact systems.

The U.S. cannot afford to remain tethered to outdated systems and procurement processes that waste taxpayer dollars and put American lives at risk.

Last year, China spent $29.4 billion on drones. Ukraine, despite its wartime........

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