WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a new directive to fast-track U.S. drone production and “cut red tape,” he announced in a video posted to social media.
A new Pentagon memo outlined the U.S. military’s need to keep pace as global military drone production has skyrocketed lately, and the war between Russia and Ukraine has revealed the increasing importance of using more drones for modern warfare.
Hegseth made the announcement of the major overhaul in U.S. military drone policy in a social media video where he can be seen flanked by operating drones. Hegseth said the Pentagon is cutting “red tape” and speeding up production. He also said he wants service members from all branches of the military to be trained in drone operations.
“We were brought here to rebuild the military and match capabilities to the threats of today,” said Hegseth. “So while our adversaries have produced millions of cheap drones before us, we were mired in bureaucratic red tape, not anymore.”
In June, nearly a third of Moscow’s strategic bomber fleet was destroyed or damaged with cheaply made drones that were snuck into Russian territory. Ukrainian officials say the covert operation took only a few hours.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 117 drones were used in the operation in which four military airfields were attacked, resulting in the severe damage or destruction of 34% of Russia’s fleet of air missile carriers.