Pentagon Awards Machina Labs US$9 Million Trial for Low-Cost Attack Drone Production

The Pentagon has awarded a US$9 million, 18-month trial contract to robotics startup Machina Labs to produce metal airframes for low-cost attack drones under the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) program, Bloomberg reported on 6 November 2026. Production is planned in rapidly assembled modular facilities that use AI-driven robotic arms, an approach the company states is intended to shorten manufacturing timelines and reduce unit costs.

The trial shifts attention from drone platforms themselves to the production process, testing whether automated modular manufacturing can scale output of uncrewed combat systems at lower cost. Details of the contract scope, delivery schedule and production targets remain limited, as the reporting is based on initial coverage of the announcement. The program forms part of a broader Pentagon push toward inexpensive, mass-producible uncrewed systems, and the trial outcome is expected to inform how the department procures low-cost airframes going forward.