Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has created a new office to oversee the Pentagon's drone and autonomous systems programs. The Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems will be responsible for developing, buying, and fielding unmanned systems in the air, on the ground, and at sea.
The office will have significant power, including the ability to act as the milestone decision authority for its programs and to order the services to shift money between programs. It will also be exempt from hiring freezes and personnel reductions.
The move is part of Hegseth's push to field weapons faster, a broader initiative that has drawn warnings from the government's top auditor. The new office will inherit one of the largest spending increases in the Pentagon's budget, with $53.6 billion set aside for autonomous drone platforms.
