Pentagon consolidates drone oversight as Trump administration pushes rapid unmanned warfare expansion
The Pentagon announced Wednesday it is consolidating oversight of all military drones and autonomous systems under a newly created office as the Department of War moves to accelerate development and...
By Fox News · Fox News
The Pentagon announced Wednesday it is consolidating oversight of all military drones and autonomous systems under a newly created office as the Department of War moves to accelerate development and fielding of the technology across the armed forces. According to a War Department memo, the newly established Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems will report directly to Deputy Secretary of War Stephen Feinberg, and oversee unmanned and autonomous systems across the land, sea and air domains. The office also will oversee funding, acquisition and policy for unmanned systems programs currently spread across the military services, the Defense Innovation Unit, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group. CHINA’S GRIP ON RARE-EARTH MAGNETS COULD CRUSH US DRONE INDUSTRY BEFORE IT GROWS The move is intended to centralize oversight of the Pentagon's rapidly expanding drone and autonomous systems programs. "Drones and autonomous systems represent the most consequential battlefield innovation of this generation," Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement announcing the reorganization. "Adversaries collectively produce millions of unmanned systems each year across all domains," he continued. "While global military production has skyrocketed over the last three years, the United States must move at the speed this moment demands to field these capabilities at scale and secure our tactical and strategic edge." 'A NEW KIND OF WAR': INSIDE UKRAINE'S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES The announcement follows the Trump administration's broader push to expand the military's use of drones and autonomous systems. In December, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth touted the administration's "Drone Dominance" initiative, calling it "a billion-dollar program funded by President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill." "We cannot afford to shoot down cheap drones with $2 million missiles. And we ourselves must be able to field large qua…