Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued memos stripping legacy acquisition rules and empowering colonels and captains to procure and test Group 1 and 2 drones without higher-level approval.
• Small unmanned aircraft systems under 55 pounds are reclassified as consumables and removed from durable property tracking to enable rapid battlefield replacement.
• Weapons Boards are now required to approve drone arming requests within 30 days and complete battery certifications within a week to accelerate weaponization.
• The Pentagon will collaborate with the FAA to lift range restrictions, fast-track spectrum approvals, and establish three national UAS test sites within 90 days.
• Within 30 days the DoD will deploy advance purchase commitments, direct loans, and Buy American incentives to jump-start domestic drone manufacturing and pursue U.S. dominance by 2027.