// UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND NEXT-GEN WARFARE TERM
Affordable Mass
Affordable Mass is a military strategy focused on deploying a large number of relatively inexpensive and effective systems, rather than a few highly advanced, costly ones. This approach aims to overwhelm an adversary with sheer quantity and absorb combat losses without crippling financial or operational impact.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Affordable Mass is a defense procurement and operational doctrine prioritizing the acquisition of a high volume of cost-effective, attritable, and sufficiently capable assets, such as unmanned systems or munitions, to achieve numerical superiority and strategic effects. This concept enables distributed, resilient force structures that can impose disproportionate costs on adversaries relying on exquisite, high-value platforms, particularly in contested environments.
BACKGROUND
The Affordable Weapon System is a US Navy program to design and produce a low cost "off the shelf" cruise missile launchable from a self-contained unit mounted in a standard shipping container.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- attritable systems
- low-cost mass
- distributed lethality
- quantity over quality
- cost-imposing strategy
- disposable tech
- good enough systems
USAGE NOTE
This concept is central to modern defense discussions about drone swarms and countering near-peer adversaries with advanced air defense systems.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Affordable Mass.
A defense technology company building AI-powered, software-defined autonomous systems. Their Lattice OS is designed to network large numbers of low-cost assets, such as their Altius loitering munition and Ghost sUAS, to create a distributed, resilient force.
A developer of low-cost, high-performance unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Their XQ-58A Valkyrie is a prime example of an "attritable" jet drone designed to be produced in large quantities for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
The U.S. DoD's research agency that funds programs explicitly aimed at achieving affordable mass. Initiatives like the Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) and the Autonomous Multi-domain Adaptive Swarms-of-Swarms program are foundational to this concept.
A leading manufacturer of small unmanned aircraft systems and loitering munitions. Their products, such as the Switchblade loitering missile, are produced in the thousands to provide tactical units with affordable, expendable, and massed capabilities.
The primary scientific research center for the U.S. Air Force, which pioneers affordable mass through programs like Skyborg (AI pilot) and Golden Horde (networked munitions) to create swarms of low-cost, effective platforms.
An artificial intelligence company developing an AI pilot, Hivemind, for military aircraft. Their technology is designed to enable swarms of autonomous systems to operate in denied environments, a core requirement for executing missions with affordable mass.
A manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems developing next-generation Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) like its Gambit series. These aircraft are designed for affordability and manufacturability at scale to provide massed autonomous support to manned forces.
A major defense contractor developing key enablers for affordable mass, including networked munitions, sensors, and counter-UAS systems. Their Coyote UAS is a low-cost, expendable drone that can be used for surveillance or as a kinetic effector in swarms.