Advancing the Defence Drone Initiative

$382M net impact on the budgetary balance over five years, 2026-27 to 2030-31.

The cost line

… no change to existing funding or no fiscal implication · – a further extension will be considered later · 0* less than $0.5 million. Positive numbers cost the budget (spending or forgone revenue); negative numbers improve it.

What the budget says

“Budget 2026 proposes to provide $2.3 billion over five years, starting in 2027-28, on a cash basis to the Department of National Defence for the Defence Drone Initiative to accelerate the discovery, acquisition, and deployment of uncrewed and counter-uncrewed capabilities.”

Budget 2026, p. 258 (PDF p. 274)

Key facts

• Proposes $2.3 billion over five years, starting in 2027-28, on a cash basis, to National Defence for the Defence Drone Initiative. Budget 2026, p. 258 (PDF p. 274)

Amounts named in the text

Stated amounts can cover different periods, cash or accrual bases, previously announced money and loans. They are not additive with the cost line above.

• $2.3 billion over five years, starting in 2027-28

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