Hegseth orders Pentagon to treat delays in counter-drone efforts as operational risk — The Hill

In the United States, the Department of Defense must treat delays in the use of counter-drone systems as an operational risk. This instruction is contained in a new memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, The Hill reports.

Accelerating procedures

In the memorandum, Hegseth instructed the department to accept reasonable risks, identify approval pathways in advance, process decisions quickly, and standardize relevant procedures within the Department of Defense. If processes stall, they must be escalated to a higher level of review.

According to the Pentagon chief, the United States cannot fall behind as drone technologies become more widespread and cheaper. He said the department must not respond to a fast-moving threat with slow bureaucracy.

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Experience from war and the border

The article notes that drones are actively used in armed conflicts, including in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The U.S. military trained with Ukrainian servicemembers to learn more about the use of unmanned systems.

Drones are also used at the southern U.S. border during smuggling attempts countered by the Department of Homeland Security. According to the publication, the United States used lasers in the summer to disrupt drones used by cartels.

Army program

Previously, the U.S. Army had a program studying the use of drones in foreign wars. The general who led it was removed from his position in July, and the program itself was disbanded in August.