'Drone czar': Pentagon creates new role to lead US unmanned systems strategy

The United States is creating a new senior Pentagon position to oversee the military's rapidly expanding portfolio of drones and autonomous systems, as the Defense Department moves to accelerate the development and deployment of unmanned technology across all branches.

The new position was established through a memo signed on Wednesday by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The official will carry the title of Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) and will serve as the Pentagon's central authority for coordinating unmanned and autonomous programs.

What will be the 'drone czar's' duties?

According to the memo, the DRPM-UxS will report directly to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg and will have broad decision-making authority. The official will serve as the Pentagon's "single joint integrator for all unmanned and autonomous system programs," allowing the role to oversee efforts that have traditionally been spread across multiple military branches and offices.

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The position will supervise not only aerial drones but also autonomous systems operating on land and at sea. The memo states that the DRPM-UxS will direct "all activities to develop, procure, field, sustain, and operationalise unmanned and autonomous systems across all domains."

The directive also includes a list of unmanned system categories that fall under the office's authority, while noting that the "Sec War or Deputy SecWar may add or remove systems to the DRPM at their discretion."

Hegseth says US needs to keep pace

In the memo, Hegseth argued that the United States must move more quickly to keep pace with global advances in unmanned warfare.

"Adversaries collectively produce millions of unmanned systems each year across all domains," Hegseth wrote.

He added that America's current pace has failed to match the rapid growth of military drone capabilities worldwide.

"While global military unmanned systems production has skyrocketed over the last three years, the United States has been slow to field these capabilities at scale," he continued. "Drones and autonomous systems are the most consequential battlefield innovation of this generation. The DoW must move at the speed this moment demands."

The memo also outlines how the new office will function within the Pentagon. Procurement of new unmanned platforms will be carried out through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which will serve as the primary link between the DRPM-UxS and the Department of War.