The U.S. military has launched a new autonomous warfare command, the SOUTHCOM Autonomous Warfare Command (SAWC), to deploy unmanned systems across Latin America, marking a significant escalation in the projection of military and economic power in the region.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) commander Gen. Francis Donovan ordered the creation of SAWC on Tuesday, stating its purpose is to support national security priorities and regional efforts. Donovan articulated the command's intent 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.” This statement frames the expansion of military technology as a benefit to a profit-driven "defense ecosystem."
SOUTHCOM stated the new command will employ “autonomous, semi-autonomous, and unmanned platforms and systems to counter threats and challenges across domains, linking tactical missions to long-term strategic effects.” These systems represent a technological advancement in the state's capacity for surveillance and intervention, designed to secure resources, markets, and compliant governments for transnational corporations under the guise of stability.
The State's Role in Capital Accumulation
SAWC is also tasked with working with U.S. allies in the region and advancing missions that include targeting narcoterrorist and cartel networks, alongside responding to large-scale natural disasters. SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations across Central and South America and the Caribbean, with a primary focus on counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that, according to the military, “threaten U.S. interests.” The definition of "U.S. interests" in this context historically aligns with the protection of capital accumulation and the suppression of any challenge to the existing economic order.
Donovan described the region as “well-suited for innovation and collaboration with partners,” noting its “wide range of conditions, varied terrain, and diverse operational environments that make it an ideal setting in which to innovate.” He further highlighted the presence of “very capable and committed security partners who lean forward, embrace technologies and are very eager to work collaboratively with us to support regional stability in new and effective ways.” This characterization positions Latin America as a testing ground for advanced military technologies and a region with governments amenable to U.S. imperial objectives.
In a written posture statement to Congress earlier this year, Donovan explicitly stated his aim “to capitalize on next generation capabilities like unmanned platforms, AI integration, and commercial tools to better enable us and our partners to counter … threats together.” This emphasis on "capitalizing" on technology underscores the profit motive inherent in the military-industrial complex, where defense contractors stand to gain from the deployment of new systems.
Increasing Lethality and Control
One month ago in March, Donovan informed an Armed Services Committee member of his objective to build "cost-effective, modernized forces" for SOUTHCOM’s mission. These forces, incorporating autonomous systems and human-machine teaming, are intended “to greatly increase lethality, all-domain awareness, and data sharing for U.S. and partner forces.” The focus on increasing "lethality" and "all-domain awareness" reveals the command's true function: to enhance the state's capacity for control and suppression within its imperial garrison.
SOUTHCOM announced it will collaborate with the military services and the War Department’s Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) to identify the necessary capabilities for the new command's operational integration. This collaboration signifies the institutionalization of autonomous warfare as a core component of U.S. foreign policy, designed to project military power and protect accumulated wealth across the hemisphere.