Pentagon consolidates nearly all drone and autonomous weapons programs under new unmanned systems office
The Pentagon has pulled nearly all of its drone and autonomous-weapons programs under one new office reporting to the deputy secretary, taking authority from the military services. Defense News reports the latest budget sets aside $53.6 billion for autonomous drone platforms.
The Pentagon is reorganizing how it builds and buys drones. Nearly all of the department's drone and autonomous-weapons programs are being consolidated under a single new office, the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems, which reports directly to the deputy secretary of defense rather than to the individual military services. According to Defense News and USNI News, the move strips procurement and development authority from the Army, Navy, and Air Force and centralizes it, reflecting a push to field unmanned systems faster. The department's latest budget request sets aside $53.6 billion for autonomous drone platforms and counter-drone systems, which officials have called an unprecedented level of investment. The restructuring follows a string of large counter-drone contracts and a broader effort to scale production of both attack drones and the systems meant to defeat them. Source: Defense News, USNI News.