Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is moving to transform the U.S. military’s approach to drone warfare, slashing red tape and launching what he calls “American drone dominance” to outcompete adversaries like China and Russia.
In a bold announcement Thursday, Hegseth unveiled a sweeping new Pentagon initiative to supercharge domestic drone production, empower frontline commanders, and weaponize cutting-edge American AI expertise — all while bypassing the bureaucratic bottlenecks that have hamstrung innovation for years.
“While our adversaries have produced millions of cheap drones before us, we were mired in bureaucratic red tape,” Hegseth said in a video released by the Department of Defense, featuring him signing new orders delivered via drone. “Not anymore.”
The new reforms, launched under President Donald Trump’s June executive order to energize the U.S. drone industry, represent a historic shift in how the Pentagon develops and deploys unmanned aerial systems.
According to Hegseth, the strategy centers around three key pillars:
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Buy American: The Department of Defense will prioritize purchasing U.S.-made drones to stimulate domestic manufacturing and secure supply chains from foreign influence.
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Unleash AI & Engineering Talent: The Pentagon will harness top-tier American engineering and artificial intelligence capabilities to integrate drones directly into combat units.
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Crush Bureaucratic Fear: Military leaders will be pushed to overcome the “risk-averse” culture that has slowed innovation. “Senior officers must overcome bureaucratic risk aversion in budgeting, weaponing, weaponeering, and training,” Hegseth said.
The orders signed Thursday grant lower-ranking field commanders, such as colonels and Navy captains, the authority to immediately acquire and test drones that meet national security criteria — without waiting for layers of Pentagon approval.
In a major shift, drones are also being reclassified from tracked military assets to expendable consumables, freeing commanders from cumbersome acquisition and inventory systems and dramatically speeding up delivery timelines.
Additionally, the Pentagon will coordinate with the FAA to loosen range restrictions and establish new drone training facilities across the country, further enhancing readiness and operational flexibility.
“This is the future. We’re in the fight. We’re in the fight to win it. And we’re never going to back down,” Hegseth said.
The changes come as drones continue to reshape modern warfare. From Ukraine’s battlefield use against Russian armor, to Israel’s drone strike campaigns targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure, unmanned systems have proven decisive.
Now, with Hegseth at the helm and Trump’s backing, the U.S. military is signaling it will no longer play catch-up. The era of American drone dominance has officially begun.