Drone Dominance Directive: Pentagon Orders Major Overhaul to Accelerate Small UAS Integration
On July 10, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a sweeping directive titled “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance”, marking a turning point in how the Department of Defense procures, deploys, and integrates small unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Framing drones as the defining battlefield innovation of this generation, Hegseth criticized past bureaucratic inertia and formally rescinded restrictive policies that had hindered the growth of the domestic drone industry. The directive is designed to shift operational authority and budgetary discretion from centralized offices to combat units, enabling faster access to AI-enabled, low-cost drone systems for immediate use in the field.
The memo outlines a three-part strategy. First, the Pentagon will rapidly approve hundreds of U.S.-made drone products for purchase, strengthening the manufacturing base and creating predictable demand for private investors. Second, the Department will accelerate the deployment of attritable drones built by American AI and aerospace engineers. Third, all relevant combat training programs will begin incorporating force-on-force drone warfare exercises by 2026. The shift is not only technological but cultural: Hegseth emphasized that lethality must no longer be restrained by internal risk aversion, calling on senior officers to adopt a “Department of War” mentality in their approach to innovation and procurement.
The directive sets concrete deadlines for implementation. By September 1, 2025, each military branch must establish experimental units dedicated to small UAS integration, with priority fielding in Indo-Pacific Command. Within 30 days, the Office of Strategic Capital and the Department of Government Efficiency must submit proposals for financial instruments—including advance purchase commitments and direct loans—to stimulate UAS production. Every military service is also tasked with creating independent program offices for drone acquisition, aimed at fostering competition and discovering rapid acquisition best practices across the services.
In parallel, structural reforms will redefine how certified systems are evaluated and approved. By January 1, 2026, responsibility for maintaining the Pentagon’s “Blue List” of approved drones and components will shift from the Defense Innovation Unit to the Defense Contract Management Agency. The Blue List will become a dynamic digital platform powered by artificial intelligence, consolidating performance data, user feedback, certification statuses, and supply chain assessments. This modernization aims to streamline vendor qualification and enable more agile updates in response to battlefield feedback and training results.
The directive also introduces strategic planning for long-term force integration. Within 90 days, three national training ranges must be designated to support advanced UAS exercises, including one over water. By the end of 2026, every combat squad will be equipped with expendable drones, and by 2027, all major training events across the Department must feature drone capabilities. The final objective is unambiguous: establish dominance in the small UAS domain by outpacing adversaries through scaled procurement, AI integration, and battlefield-ready doctrine. The memo signals a significant realignment of Pentagon priorities, placing uncrewed systems at the center of future American military power.
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