United States (US) Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed a directive to accelerate the modernization of the nation’s drone program, increase domestic production, and eliminate regulatory hurdles that are slowing its innovation.
In a memo on July 10, Hegseth said the US plans to unleash the combined potential of its manufacturing and war-fighting knowledge to match contemporary threats to capabilities.
“The Department of Defence is going above and beyond this order. I am rescinding restrictive policies that hindered production and limited access to these vital technologies, unleashing the combined potential of American manufacturing and war-fighting ingenuity. I am delegating authorities to procure and operate drones from the bureaucracy to our war fighters,” read part of the statement.
His memo follows President Donald Trump’s executive order dated June 6, which directed the federal government to prioritize drone technology as a cornerstone of national defence strategy.
US Plan to Unleash Drone Dominance
He outlined that the new drone strategy will be centred around three key initiatives that will boost the US drone manufacturing base, accelerating technological superiority and transforming training.
According to the signed directive, the first step involves strengthening the emerging US drone manufacturing sector by authorising the purchase of hundreds of domestically made products for military use.
“Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year. While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. U.S. units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires,” Hegseth wrote.
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The second step will focus on enabling a technological leap, equipping combat units with a wide range of affordable drones developed by America’s top engineers and AI specialists.
According to Pete, achieving drone dominance is as much about speed and process as it is about technology.
The strategy will call for a revamped procurement approach that directly connects manufacturers with frontline forces to drive rapid battlefield innovation.
Finally, the focus will shift to training troops for combat scenarios.
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Battlefield Strategy
“To simulate the modern battlefield, senior officers must overcome the bureaucracy’s instinctive risk-aversion on everything from budgeting to weaponizing and training. Next year, I expect to see this capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,” read the memo.
In a push to rapidly expand drone capabilities, the Pentagon is exploring new funding channels to support emerging technologies. Defence officials confirmed that investment methods outlined in Executive Order 14307 are under review to address the urgent need for drones on the battlefield.
“Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions, especially when it comes to harnessing technologies we invented but were slow to pursue,” ended the memo.
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