Trump-Era Pentagon ‘Unleashing US Military Drone Dominance’

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – DOD has announced sweeping new changes intended to surge the fielding of small drones, including weaponized types, across the entire military. Most notably, certain types of smaller uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) will now be treated as “consumables,” more akin to hand grenades and other ammunition, than aircraft.

The new policies represent a huge shift that could not come soon enough for the U.S. military, which under Joe Biden moved extremely slowly to field drones on a widespread basis.

Defense Secretary Hegseth signs the drone-delivered memo on the Pentagon lawn. A full copy of this document, which is titled “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,” can be found here.

Watch U.S. Marines use drones Ukraine-style in combined arms strike on practice targets.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

DOD ends bid to revive Soviet style ekranoplan seaplane just as Chinese version appears.

Super quiet special operations Long Endurance Aircraft (LEA) surveillance drones, based on a popular civilian powered glider design, are set to gain the ability to launch smaller uncrewed aerial systems.

Senate Armed Services Committee wants DOD to explore ‘tactical’ cyber employment beyond the forces of U.S. Cyber Command.

HOMELAND SECURITY

A divided federal appeals court on Friday threw out a plea deal that would have spared accused Sept. 11 terror mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the risk of execution for al-Qaida’s 2001 attacks.

A retired Army lieutenant colonel who was caught in an online ‘honeypot’ spy operation pleaded guilty to conspiring to transmit classified military information to someone he believed was a Ukrainian woman.

DEFENSE POLITICS

House Armed Services Committee has made an initial move toward reversing DOD’s plan to axe the buy of E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft for the Air Force.

Some A-10 Warthogs could get a reprieve from total retirement as Congress moves to reverse some of DOD’s most drastic Air Force cuts in its proposed fiscal 2026 budget.

Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.

Firing a top military lawyer would require a congressional notification that includes a substantive justification under a defense policy bill advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Remote pilots and crews operating drones in warfare would become eligible for combat-related services through the VA under the Senate version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

State Department is laying about 1,350 employees today, part of a reorganization to address a “bloated bureaucracy.”

US POWER OVERSEAS

Air Force kicked off a bomber task force deployment to Guam coinciding with a large-scale USAF exercise in the region intended to reinforce deterrence against China.

Air Force permanently transferred F-16 fighter jets from Misawa Air Base in Japan to Osan Air Base in South Korea late last month, the next step in its transition to base F-35s in Japan.

U.S., Australia, and 17 other nations, launch largest-ever Talisman Sabre drills involving more than 35,000 troops, with a ceremony aboard one of Australia’s largest warships, HMAS Adelaide.

Australia, Japan and the U.S. signed an agreement to further enhance logistics interoperability among their maritime forces, marking the first time a trilateral logistics agreement has been established among the three nations.

IRAN THREAT/MIDDLE EAST

Iran says it would resume nuclear talks with U.S. if guaranteed no further attacks.

What would it take to fully end Iran’s nuclear program? An Army.

Iranian attack on an air base in Qatar key to the U.S. military hit a geodesic dome housing equipment used for secure communications, satellite images show.

CHINA THREAT

China has failed to intimidate rival claimant states into surrendering their sovereign interests in the disputed South China Sea despite its intensifying “bullying tactics,” the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander said.

Chinese fighter aircraft carried out close-in maneuvers against a Japan Air Self-Defense Force Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) aircraft, prompting Tokyo to lodge a protest with the Chinese ambassador to Japan.

Philippine Coast Guard cutter intercepted a Chinese Navy spy ship within Manila’s western exclusive economic zone.

Senate panel pushing DOD on strategy to deter Chinese cyber activity on critical infrastructure.

Chinese company owns 160 acres of farmland just a mile and a half from Fort Riley. Federal officials think that’s bad.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

President Trump says the U.S. will send “various pieces” of “very sophisticated” military equipment to Ukraine, including Patriot missile defense systems, as he criticizes Putin.

Senate’s version of its fiscal 2026 defense policy bill would provide $500 million in long-term security aid to Ukraine.

U.S. is selling weapons to its NATO allies in Europe so they can provide them to Ukraine, Trump said.

A massive Antonov An-124 (NATO code name Condor) cargo jet over Kyiv on Friday sparked a mystery about why it was flying and where it came from.

Ukraine spy chief says 40% of Russian ammunition for the war is now North Korean, as the partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow deepens.

Ukrainian secret service agents killed members of a Russian kill team wanted for assassinating a Ukrainian colonel last week.

Russia soon to be only global power without aircraft carrier. Its last remaining aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is facing decommissioning after seven years of failed repairs and mounting structural issues.

SPACE THREAT

Experimental Chinese Shiyan satellite appears in a low-inclination orbit never before used by the country, after a week-long detection delay and uncertainty over its mission.

Congress is preparing to direct DOD to establish permanent funding for a Space Force initiative that delivers commercial satellite imagery and analytics to military commanders worldwide.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Sweden’s CV90 is a great ground combat vehicle, and used by many NATO members, so why doesn’t the U.S. buy it? Because of complex repair, spare parts and logistics programs.

UK Royal Air Force Reaper remotely piloted aircraft has eliminated a known Daesh (ISIS) terrorist in north-western Syria.

US MILITARY

Army and Navy want the ‘right to repair’ their own equipment. A fundamental value of life at sea is that all damage and problems aboard a vessel fall to the crew to fix.

Navy hopes its Next-Generation Attack Submarine, currently known as the SSN(X), will be a successful combination of stealth, operational life and autonomous technology — but it may not become reality anytime soon.

Navy accepted delivery of final independence-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Pierre (LCS 38) from Austal.

Outgoing head of the Air Force’s recruiting efforts believes years of recruiting slumps are solidly in the rearview mirror.

Coast Guard plans to buy 84 new ships and aircraft by 2035 with an injection of $25 billion in supplemental funding.

Service members are on track to get a 3.8% pay raise next year under versions of the annual defense policy bill endorsed by House and Senate.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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