The US Department of Defense (DoD) is streamlining its policies and cutting through red tape to expedite the deployment of small, low-cost drones for military personnel.
During the Weekly Sitrep video, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said: “In line with President [Donald J] Trump’s recent executive order to support the American drone industry, [Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth signed a memo removing restrictive policies on drone innovation that hindered production and access to vital technologies.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
“By leveraging our department’s savings from [the Department of Government Efficiency], we will help power a technological leapfrog and bolster the US drone industry by approving hundreds of made-in-America drone products for purchase by our military.”
Hegseth outlined three key strategies in the department’s renewed focus on drone technology.
The first objective is to fortify the US drone manufacturing base by endorsing hundreds of American products for military procurement, with a preference for buying American and using private capital flows that support the sector.
“We will bolster the nascent US drone manufacturing base by approving hundreds of American products for purchase by our military,” Hegseth said.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData“Leveraging private capital flows that support this industry, our overt preference is to buy American.”
The second strategy involves equipping service members with tools produced by America’s leading engineers and AI specialists.
“We will power a technological leapfrog, arming our combat units with a variety of low-cost drones made by America’s world-leading engineers and AI experts,” Hegseth stated.
Finally, the department is committed to providing comprehensive training for combat units, not only granting them access to drone technology but also ensuring proficiency in their operation.
Hegseth added: “We’ll train as we expect to fight. 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.”
