Southcom creates new Autonomous Warfare Command to build up its drone prowess
Early into his tenure leading U.S. Southern Command, Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan is ramping up drone and AI-enabled operations to disrupt maritime drug trafficking and dismantle networks of so-called “narco-terrorists.”
To drive those efforts, the commander recently initiated the launch of the Southcom Autonomous Warfare Command (SAWC), which will refine and deploy aerial, surface, and underwater drones to degrade cartel threats and respond to crises across the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
“Our geographic area of responsibility has a wide range of conditions, varied terrain, and diverse operational environments that make it an ideal setting in which to innovate,” Donovan said in Southcom’s announcement on Tuesday.
The second Trump administration ignited an unusually large military surge to Southcom’s AOR last year.
Dubbed Operation Southern Spear, the U.S. initially deployed a mix of Navy fighter jets and other advanced aircraft built for electronic warfare, command and control, contested logistics and various operations.
Since then, the U.S. military has conducted many deadly strikes in the region against boats and other targets that it alleges were trafficking narcotics from Venezuela or were otherwise involved in activities that posed threats to America’s national security — including one strike that reportedly killed three individuals this week, who Southcom referred to as male “narco-terrorists.”
Once it is fully established and operational, the new Autonomous Warfare Command will deploy a variety of drone platforms with different levels of autonomy “to counter threats and challenges across domains, linking tactical missions to long-term strategic effects,” according to Southcom’s release.
In response to questions Wednesday regarding when officials expect SAWC to be operating at full capacity and the emerging technologies they’ll be prioritizing from the start, a Southcom spokesperson said that “standing up a new command requires a deliberate and phased approach to ensure operational effectiveness, integration with existing forces, and compliance with policy.”
“Ultimately, SAWC will employ autonomous, semi-autonomous, and unmanned platforms in direct support of the National Defense Strategy’s call for a ready, capable, and lethal fighting force. It will maximize the efficient fielding of autonomous systems to increase lethality, domain awareness and build partner capabilities, in accordance with SOUTHCOM imperatives,” the spokesperson told DefenseScoop in an email. “As the process moves forward, SOUTHCOM will share more information through its social media and other official communication channels.”
The SAWC is emerging against a backdrop where the joint force is pivoting to prioritize AI-powered, autonomous systems and low-cost drones to deter and overwhelm adversaries, and modernize combat tactics based on learnings from contemporary wars.
Drone platforms will likely support the command in missions that involve interdiction, counter-narcotics, maritime patrol, kinetic strikes, humanitarian assistance, training exercises and more.
“From the seafloor to space and across the cyber domain, we fully intend to leverage the clear superiority of the American defense ecosystem by deploying cutting-edge innovation and working ever closer with our enduring partners in the region to outmatch those who threaten our collective peace and security,” Donovan said.
In the leadup to its launch, SAWC will work with the military services and the Pentagon’s Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) “to identify available expertise and capabilities required for the new command to commence operations and fully integrate” them into Southcom’s missions, per the press release.
Pentagon officials have been largely uncommunicative about the DAWG’s progress and functions since it was established last year. That high-level team is considered a successor of the Biden-era Replicator initiative to facilitate the department’s accelerated plan to purchase and adopt thousands of attritable drones.
Budget documents for fiscal 2027 indicate that the Defense Department is requesting $54.6 billion to fund the DAWG next year, which marks a more than 24,000% boost from the $225.9 million it received in fiscal 2026.
