Pentagon removes barriers for military drone deployment, redefining small unmanned aircraft as consumables while mandating drone combat simulations across military branches

The Pentagon wants more small, cheap, easily replaced drones in the hands of troops as quickly as possible, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he is cutting red tape to make that happen.

The top military commander in charge of troops deployed to Los Angeles to respond to protests against immigration raids has asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if 200 of those forces could be returned to wildfire fighting duty,

The memo directs the military services to create active duty formations by September, built for the sole purpose of scaling the use of drones across DOD.

Hegseth pushed back, saying that his office was ensuring the soldiers were receiving necessary supplies for their deployment.

What is Hegseth so scared of? For a man who constantly rants about “warrior ethos” and “toughness,” he seems terrified of a sailor in a dress—at a talent show, years ago. But this isn’t about toughness. It’s about political intimidation, and too many senior leaders who know better are staying silent.

The US Defense Department is overhauling drone policy to boost production, empower troops, and integrate drones into combat training, aiming to reassert American drone dominance against rising global threats.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of any policies that slow down the development and deployment of drones