Hegseth creates powerful new drone office, pulling authority from the military services

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) to consolidate Pentagon drone and autonomous systems programs under a single office reporting to Deputy Secretary Stephen Feinberg. The office oversees development, acquisition, and deployment of unmanned systems across all domains, excluding major defense acquisition programs, and inherits a $53.6 billion budget for autonomous drone platforms.