Hegseth Orders Pentagon Drone Surge

Defense Department wants small and cheap UAVs that can be used as munitions.

Zach Vasile

Friday, July 11, 2025 at 03:00 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

U.S. Customs and Border Protection began flying the MQ-9 Reaper, or Predator B, in 2005 and uses it primarily to survey the southern border. [Courtesy: General Atomics]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Defense Department is implementing sweeping changes to its drone strategy, delegating procurement authority to lower-ranking officers and rescinding restrictive policies to accelerate acquisition and deployment.
Small "Group 1" and "Group 2" drones are reclassified as "consumables," allowing for easier ordering, testing, and integration into combat training, treating them as expendable munitions.
This strategic shift aims to rapidly expand the use of low-cost, mass-produced drones to gain an edge over adversaries like Russia, Iran, and China, drawing lessons from recent conflicts where such drones have been widely deployed.

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The U.S. Defense Department has announced sweeping changes to its military drone procurement and deployment practices as it seeks to gain a strategic edge over adversaries like Russia, Iran, and China.

A memo authored by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructs Pentagon officials to ramp up orders of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles. For the first time, officers with the rank of colonel or captain will be able to independently procure and test drones, including 3D-printed vehicles and commercial off-the-shelf models. They will also have the freedom to integrate drones into every level of combat training without seeking approval from higherups.