Hegseth Issues New Directive to Hasten U.S. Military’s Counter-Drone Pursuits
The memo orders reviewers to treat delays as operational risks and calls for a single approval process to cut some timelines from months to days or weeks.
- On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum directing the Pentagon to remove "unnecessary barriers" delaying counter-unmanned aircraft systems deployments across U.S. military bases and critical infrastructure.
- Hegseth, who previously launched Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to lead counter-drone initiatives, described small unmanned systems as "the defining threat of our time." Slow approval processes have left military members at risk.
- Per the directive, the Pentagon's chief information officer must review within 30 days the process for submitting C-UAS spectrum requests. Officials will establish a department-wide process to cut authority to operate timelines from months to just days or weeks.
- JIATF-401 spokesperson Adam Scher said the task force is taking "aggressive action to streamline bureaucratic approvals and remove barriers" to counter-drone operations. The unit will serve as the department's "synchronization point" for counter-unmanned aerial system employment.
- This memorandum implements President Donald Trump's executive order 14305, "Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty," issued in June 2025. The order directs the federal government to "unleash American drone dominance" while defending military installations and protecting the public.
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Hegseth on counter-drone homeland security: 'Accept prudent risks'
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed a new drone-related memorandum this week designed to further cut down on long-standing bureaucracies that slow down the process of fielding new weapons systems. Hegseth signed the “Accelerating Employment of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Protect American Airspace Sovereignty” memorandum on Monday, though the department did not release it until […]
DOD memo on cUAS
Friday, October 2, 2026The Sept. 28, 2026 memo, titled "Accelerating Employment of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Protect American Airspace Sovereignty," directs the Defense Department to eliminate unnecessary barriers that delay c-UAS capabilities for forces, installations and assets. Featured: Related Documents Tags: Counter UAS
The Pentagon is accelerating the implementation of anti-drone systems in all branches of the US Armed Forces
The Pentagon is accelerating the implementation of anti-drone systems in all branches of the US Armed Forces. The new procedure should reduce technical, administrative and legal approvals, due to which already tested c-UAS complexes can wait...
The memorandum directs US Defense Department to eliminate unnecessary barriers that delay c-UAS capabilities for forces, installations, assets
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