US Secretary Hegseth Orders Army Squads Equipped With Attack Drones by 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a sweeping initiative to accelerate U.S. military drone production and deployment, aiming to equip every Army squad with small, one-way attack drones by the end of fiscal year 2026. Under the directive titled “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,” Hegseth is cutting bureaucratic red tape, rescinding restrictive Pentagon policies, and delegating procurement authority to frontline units to speed innovation and fielding. Inspired by the effective use of drones in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the plan encourages the use of commercial and 3D-printed drones, emphasizing American manufacturing and artificial intelligence expertise to maintain technological superiority over China and Russia. The policy reclassifies small drones as expendable munitions like grenades and bullets, allowing faster acquisition and modification directly by troops in the field. Hegseth stresses the need for widespread drone training across all military branches to ensure readiness for modern warfare. This initiative builds on President Donald Trump’s executive order to bolster U.S. leadership in unmanned aircraft systems development and commercialization.