SkyFoundry Act of 2025

This bill would require the Defense Department to set up a program to quickly design, test, and mass‑produce small military drones. It would be run through the Army and tied into a broader effort to strengthen U.S. defense manufacturing. The program could also expand to related tech, like explosives and other autonomous systems, to meet military needs faster.

The plan creates two government‑owned sites: an innovation center for research and testing, and a production plant run by Army Materiel Command. Once fully up and running, the production site should be able to build up to 1,000,000 small drones per year. The Defense Department must use or upgrade existing Army Depot locations, choose at least two separate sites (one for innovation and one for production), and pick a production site that meets set size and location requirements. The department may renovate, expand, or build facilities using available funds to make this happen. The government can bring contractor experts onto hybrid teams inside these facilities and partner with companies, universities, and nonprofits. The government must also keep enough rights to the technology so it can keep making, fixing, and improving these systems over time. To boost U.S. production, the bill calls for using Defense Production Act tools to scale factories, build stockpiles, and add surge capacity. It also lets the department speed up internal approvals when needed to move faster.

Key points

• Who is affected: Department of Defense and the Army; defense contractors, universities, and nonprofits that partner on drone design and production.
• What changes: New Army‑run innovation and production sites for small drones; faster purchasing and testing methods; public‑private partnerships; government keeps key tech rights; use of Defense Production Act tools; faster internal approvals when needed .
• Where: At least two sites, using existing Army Depots; the production site must meet specific land, building size, and proximity criteria. The goal is up to 1,000,000 drones per year once fully established.
• When: The bill directs the department to establish the program; no specific dates or deadlines are listed in the sections provided.