Summary4 min read

The Daily Scoop Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title: The Army wants to manufacture 10,000 drones per month by 2026
Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Billy Mitchell

Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Scoop Podcast examines two major developments impacting federal government technology and operations:

The U.S. Army's ambitious goal to domestically produce 10,000 small drones per month starting in 2026 through the Sky Foundry pilot.
Congressional scrutiny of workforce cuts at CISA, the nation’s lead cybersecurity agency, amid concerns about prioritization and national security.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Army's "Sky Foundry" Drone Manufacturing Initiative

[00:19–03:08]

Mass Production Target:
- The Army will begin domestically mass-producing up to 10,000 small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) monthly as early as next year.
- This initiative, called "Sky Foundry," is led by the Army Materiel Command and aims to leverage innovative manufacturing techniques.
Facility Development:
- The Army is currently selecting multiple U.S. sites for design and production.
Pilot Scope and Timeline:
- General James Mingus, Army Vice Chief of Staff:
  - "We'll be at 10,000 a month by this time next year, if not more." [00:58]
Strategic Context:
- Response to Pentagon’s push for “drone dominance” following Secretary of Defense Pete Hegse’s July directive.
- The Defense Department aims to field low-cost, attritable drones to every Army squad by the end of 2026.
Legislation and Major Players:
- Senators Ted Cruz, John Cornyn, Tom Cotton, and John Boozman introduced the Sky Foundry Act of 2025, creating a government-run UAS facility at Red River Army Depot, Texas.
- Representative Pat Harrington brought companion legislation in the House.
R&D and Industry Collaboration:
- Under Secretary of the Army Michael Obedahl:
  - The program will “allow for broader collaboration with industry on other innovative technology,” not just drone hardware. [03:00]
- The Sky Foundry project will integrate feedback from global conflicts to rapidly update drone designs.
Output Potential:
- Once fully operational, production could reach 1.1 million small UAS annually.

2. Congressional Pushback on CISA Workforce Cuts

[03:09–05:02]

Concern Raised by Rep. Eric Swalwell:
- Sent a letter to acting CISA Director Madhu Gautamakola expressing alarm over ongoing workforce reductions at the nation’s key cybersecurity agency.
- Swalwell accuses the Trump administration of undermining cybersecurity through staff cuts.
  - Quoting Swalwell:
    - “The Trump administration has ... undertaken multiple efforts to decimate CISA's workforce, undermining our nation's cybersecurity.” [03:27]
Allegations of Misplaced Priorities:
- Noted the shift of CISA personnel to support Department of Homeland Security deportation efforts over cybersecurity work.
- Approximately 760 employees have left or been removed since January.
National Security Risks:
- Swalwell calls the cuts and transfers “further evidence of the administration's failure [to] prioritize cybersecurity in how CISA is engaging in reductions in force that could threaten its capacity to prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats.” [04:01]
Official Demands:
- Requests DHS immediately stop cuts, reinstate impacted employees, and provide data on workforce impacts.
Ongoing Concern:
- Swalwell has repeatedly reached out for briefings on workforce plans but received no substantive response.
Operational Impact:
- Raises issues over CISA’s ability to address recent cybersecurity threats, citing:
  - An emergency directive on widespread attacks targeting Cisco firewalls.
  - The end of CISA's partnership with the Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, previously supported by $27 million in annual federal funding.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Army Vice Chief of Staff, General James Mingus:
- “We'll be at 10,000 a month by this time next year, if not more.”
  [00:58]
Under Secretary of the Army, Michael Obedahl:
- "[Sky Foundry will] allow for broader collaboration with industry on other innovative technology."
  [03:00]
Rep. Eric Swalwell’s letter to CISA director:
- “The Trump administration has ... undertaken multiple efforts to decimate CISA's workforce, undermining our nation's cybersecurity.”
  [03:27]
- “It has become apparent that the department's exclusive focus on its mass deportation campaign is coming at the expense of our national security.”
  [03:49]

Timestamps for Key Segments

Army drone production pilot ("Sky Foundry") announced: [00:19–03:08]
Legislation and Army leadership commentary: [01:40–03:08]
Rep. Swalwell’s letter and CISA workforce cuts: [03:09–05:02]

Summary Table of Main Events

| Topic | Segment Start | Key Points | |---------------------------------------------|--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Army launches "Sky Foundry" drone program | 00:19 | 10,000 drones/month, innovative manufacturing, collaboration with industry | | Pentagon’s drone dominance directive | 01:10 | Fielding drones to every squad, partnership with domestic industry | | Congressional Sky Foundry legislation | 01:50 | Creating a government-run facility, innovation and production separation | | CISA workforce reductions concern | 03:09 | Swalwell's letter, staff shifted/lost, national security implications | | Demands for CISA accountability | 04:15 | Cease cuts, reinstate employees, inform Congress on impact | | Cybersecurity capacity impact | 04:40 | Third-party partnership loss (MS-ISAC), response to recent attacks |

This episode provides a snapshot of rapid developments in defense technology manufacturing and exposes high-level tensions over how workforce policy decisions may be affecting U.S. cybersecurity readiness. For listeners seeking in-depth federal tech and policy coverage, these stories underscore the dynamic interplay between innovation and institutional stability.

Loading summary

Transcript2 lines

[00:01]
A
Today on the Daily Scoop Podcast from the Scoop News Group. The army wants to manufacture 10,000 drones per month by 2026, and Congressman Eric Swalwell seeks answers about CISA's workforce cuts. It's Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Welcome to the Daily Scoop Podcast, where you'll hear the latest news and trends facing government leaders. I'm the host of the Daily Scoop Podcast, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining me. Now let's dive into the day's top headlines. Starting next year, the army will be able to domestically mass produce upwards of 10,000 small unmanned aerial systems each month, according to the service. Army Materiel Command is leading the new pilot, dubbed Sky Foundry, that will allow the service to rapidly develop, test and produce small drones using innovative manufacturing methods. Officials are currently identifying multiple facilities where the platforms will be designed and produced. The department expects it can Manufacture at least 10,000 UAS per month once the first site is up and running, army Vice Chief of Staff general James Mingus said Tuesday during a fireside chat at the annual ausa conference in D.C. on Tuesday, Mingus said, We'll be at 10,000amonth by this time next year, if not more. The effort comes as the Pentagon looks to ramp up production of small drones across the services following Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses unleashing US Military drone dominance. Direct issued in July, that memo requires low cost attritable drones to be fielded to every army squad by the end of 2026 and calls on the military to partner closely with domestic industry to scale up manufacturing. Also in July, Republican Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of Texas and Tom Cotton and John Boozman of Arkansas introduced the Sky Foundry act of 2025, designed to establish a government run small UAS production facility at the Red River Army Depot in Texas. Congressman Pat Harrington, Republican of North Carolina, also submitted companion legislation in September. According to the legislation, Sky Foundry will include an innovation facility that will serve as the Army's research, development and testing hub, integrating lessons learned from global conflicts to rapidly evolve US Small unmanned aircraft systems designs. The drones will be built at a separate production facility operated by AMC that can produce1.1 million small unmanned aircraft systems annually. Once fully established, the bill states, under Secretary of the Army Michael Obedahl said during the fireside chat at the AUSA conference that the Sky Foundry program will not only manufacture drone hardware, but allow for broader collaboration with industry on other innovative technology. Now moving on to other news, Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, sent a letter Tuesday to acting CISA Director Madhu Gautamakola raising concerns about staffing levels in the direction of the nation's primary cybersecurity agency, writing that the Trump administration has, quote, undertaken multiple efforts to decimate CIS's workforce, undermining our nation's cybersecurity, unquote. Swalwell, ranking member on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, called out the agency for its reported shift of cybersecurity personnel to the Department of Homeland Security's deportation efforts. On top of the approximately 760 people that have been let go from the agency since January, swalwell wrote, quote. Amid reports that the Department of Homeland Security is Now forcibly transferring CISA's cybersecurity employees to other DHS components, it has become apparent that the department's exclusive focus on its mass deportation campaign is coming at the expense of our national security, calling it further evidence of the administration's failure prioritize cybersecurity in how CISA is engaging in reductions in force that could threaten its capacity to prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats. In the letter, he demanded that DHS cease all efforts to cut CISA's workforce, reinstate employees who were transferred or dismissed, and provide details on the impacts of the agency's workforce reductions. The letter isn't the first time that Swalwell has asked for information about CISA's workforce. In April, he asked the agency to brief the subcommittee on its workforce plans, writing in Tuesday's letter that he had not heard back from cisa. Further in the letter, Swalwell says shifting CISA personnel to deportation efforts takes away from the agency's core mission at a time of unprecedented cybersecurity threats, pointing to the emergency directive issued last month about an ongoing and widespread attack spree affecting Cisco firewalls. He also questioned CIS's ability to leverage third party expertise given the agency's September termination of its agreement with the Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a partnership previously underpinned by $27 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2025. For more news at the intersection of the federal government and technology, make sure to visit betscoop.com thanks so much for.
[05:03]
B
Tuning in to another episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, available on all podcast plat. If you've already rated the podcast on your platform of choice, thanks so much. High ratings and good reviews of the show help more people to find it. The Daily Scoop Podcast is a production of the Scoop News Group in Washington, D.C. adam Butler and Carlin Fisher help put the show together and the entire Scoop News Group team contributes. We'll be back tomorrow with more top headlines. Until then, I'm your host. As always, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for listening.