Pete Hegseth unveils bold strategy for American drone supremacy

America’s military is about to take the drone game to a whole new level, according to The Daily Caller.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a groundbreaking memo to turbocharge U.S. drone production and battlefield deployment, aligning with President Donald Trump’s vision for homegrown innovation.

Let’s rewind to June 6, 2025, when President Trump issued an executive order pushing for American-made drone advancements.

That set the stage for Hegseth’s latest move, which tosses out restrictive Biden-era policies that shackled the use of small, affordable Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). It’s about time we stopped playing catch-up.

Breaking Free from Bureaucratic Chains

Hegseth’s memo doesn’t just tweak policy—it’s a full-on declaration of war against red tape. “The Department’s bureaucratic gloves are coming off,” he wrote, and frankly, it’s refreshing to see a leader ready to cut through the nonsense. This isn’t about woke posturing; it’s about winning.

The directive simplifies approvals for American-made drone components and materials, ensuring our innovators aren’t bogged down by endless paperwork.

If we’re going to lead, we can’t let bureaucracy play gatekeeper while our adversaries zoom ahead.

Small UAS, as Hegseth notes, aren’t fancy jets—they’re battlefield tools. “Small UAS resemble munitions more than high-end airplanes,” he stated in the memo. If they’re cheap and replaceable, why treat them like million-dollar toys?

Speaking of cost, let’s talk numbers that sting. The U.S. currently shells out about $56.5 million per MQ-9 Reaper drone, while groups like the Houthi Rebels in Yemen operate units for a measly $2,000. That’s a gap we can’t ignore unless we enjoy being outsmarted.

Global conflicts, like those in Ukraine and covert Israeli strikes on Iranian defenses, have shown how effective these low-cost drones can be.

Hegseth’s plan draws directly from these examples, pushing for training and tactics inspired by real-world successes. It’s practical, not progressive fluff.

The memo mandates military leaders integrate small drones into unit training, ensuring our frontline fighters are ready to wield these game-changers. Hegseth wants to see these tools proliferate among combat units, and that’s a focus on strength, not feelings.

Challenging China’s Drone Dominance

Here’s the kicker: Chinese company Da Jiang Industries controls a whopping 70% of the global commercial drone market. Meanwhile, even American defense drone makers lean heavily on Chinese parts. That’s a dependency we can’t afford when national security is on the line.

Hegseth’s strategy includes vetting components through the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue List to keep banned nations like China out of our supply chain.

Once units test these systems, leaders can greenlight large-scale purchases, ensuring we build an arsenal free of foreign influence.

“Our adversaries have a head start in small UAS, but we will perform a technological leapfrog,” Hegseth declared. That’s not just bravado—it’s a promise to harness American ingenuity, from our capital markets to our top-tier scientists, to dominate by 2027.

The goal is clear: establish U.S. supremacy in small UAS by the end of 2027. It’s an ambitious timeline, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s a military backed by the grit of American innovation. We’ve got the talent; now let’s use it.

While the Pentagon stayed silent on inquiries from outlets like the Daily Caller News Foundation, the message in the memo speaks loud enough. This is a call to action, not a press release for applause.