Key Points and Summary – In a major policy shift, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a new initiative to “unleash” U.S. drone capabilities, aiming to equip every Army squad with small, one-way attack drones by 2026.
-The directive, detailed in a memo titled “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,” will slash red tape and outdated training standards to accelerate drone procurement and innovation.
-Inspired by lessons from Ukraine, the plan empowers individual units to acquire and modify commercial and 3D-printed drones, a move designed to rapidly outpace the drone warfare advancements of China and Russia.
Here Comes American Drone Dominance
In a bold move, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called for rescinding all of the red tape that has held up drone production for the U.S. military.
Hegseth wants every U.S. Army squad to be armed with small, one-way attack drones by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.
As part of a push to break through policy and acquisition barriers, he is calling for troops to be able to modify small drones as necessary in the field.
Hegseth posted a video outlining his directive and signed a memo that was delivered to him via a drone. We have embedded it above, and it is truly quite something.
“While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape,” Hegseth wrote in the “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” memo, dated July 10.
Under direction from President Donald Trump, Hegseth is making an aggressive push to outpace Russia and China in unmanned warfare: “The Department’s bureaucratic gloves are coming off,” Hegseth wrote. “U.S. units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires.”
He continued: “The directives … support our industrial base, reform acquisition, and field new technology for the warfighter. Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions, especially when it comes to harnessing technologies we invented but were slow to pursue. Our major risk is risk-avoidance.”
2023 American Security Drone Act Is “Outdated Policy”
Hegseth directed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, to revise the Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Minimum Training Standards (3255.01), excluding Group 1 and 2 drones, while also revising which drones fit into Group 3 — a weight group that includes drones weighing between 56 and 1,319 pounds.
A military official told Breaking Defense that this “outdated policy” – written in 2009 and updated in 2011 – sets joint training requirements based on the group or weight of the unmanned system.
“As technology, mission complexity, lethality, and proliferation of UAS are moving so rapidly, we must develop new standards,” the official added. “The directive for the [chairman] to initiate a revision ensures there is not a policy gap in standards while it’s updated.”
Hegseth Has Three Goals for Increased Drone Production:
Hegseth’s memo outlines three goals.
He plans to bolster the emerging U.S. drone manufacturing base by approving military purchases of necessary American-made products. Removing restrictions deemed outdated by the administration will make it easier for the military to acquire them. This unleashes innovation.
The second aim is to rapidly develop U.S. warfare capabilities to the highest level of quality, and to arm combat units with low-cost drones manufactured by leading engineers and AI experts.
Unit commanders, for the first time, can independently procure and test drones, including 3D-printed prototypes and commercial off-the-shelf systems, so long as these meet national security criteria.
Units can immediately begin training with and operating drones without having to deal with traditional obstacles. They are now authorized to test non-lethal autonomous and unmanned aerial systems in controlled environments.
The U.S. has numerous high-priced drones, but putting them in the hands of every unit down to the squad level is a late development. See what Ukraine has accomplished with such methods in just three years.
Finally, Hegseth said he is committed to training U.S. troops in a realistic manner.
“We’ll train as we expect to fight,” Hegseth wrote. “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”
Funding Is The Key … As Always
Hegseth and the Department of Defense’s drone initiative is long overdue, and very much needed.
When adopting any new technology, the devil is in the details, and in this case, the details are in the funding.
Hegseth’s memo addressed this matter, stating that the investment methods Trump outlined in his executive order are being investigated.
Reaffirming the U.S.’s commitment to taking a more active approach to defense, the memo concluded, “the department’s bureaucratic gloves are coming off.”
Budget Dollars in FY2026 Going Toward Drone Development
In the FY 2026 Budget, the Air and Space Forces would get the largest increases in Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) funding – $62.2 billion and $29 billion respectively, according to a June article in Defense One.
Reconciliation funds will give the Space Force approximately $13.6 billion more for tech than it spent last year. Without that appropriation, the service would be slated to get $15.5 billion for 2026 – $3 billion less than in FY 2025.
The Army and Navy are slated to get $15.4 billion and $29.2 billion in FY 2026 RDT&E funds, including reconciliation dollars, respectively.
A full breakdown of the proposed spending is available from Defense One.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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