“Gloves are off” as US Defense Secretary memo calls for sweeping drone procurement reform
A Switchblade 300 being fired during joint mobility exercises. (Photo: US Navy)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has promised to usher in a new era of “military drone dominance”.
Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence, has published a new memorandum for senior Pentagon leaders, force commanders and directors of defence industry pushing for unleashing “drone dominance”.
In the memo, Hegseth stated that he would rescind “restrictive policies” that “hindered production and limited access” to drone technologies. He outlined a threefold mission for the relevant authorities to procure and operate drones: bolstering US drone manufacturing, arming the US armed forces with ‘low-cost’ drones, and integrating it into combat training.
To address the “urgent need for drones”, Hegseth has said that funding and investment methods to acquire this equipment were being
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