The United States on Wednesday announced the creation of a new role to manage the Pentagon’s unmanned systems efforts. The new role was formalized by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth via a memo.
According to the memo, the official designation for the “drone czar” will be a Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager (DRPM-UxS), which would give the post the ability to make decisions autonomously. The person who holds the position would report to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg and would be the single joint integrator for all unmanned and autonomous system programs,” the memo noted.
The new “drone czar” would not only manage the drone programs, but also all unmanned systems, on the ground, sea and air. The responsibilities include directing “all activities to develop, procure, field, sustain, and operationalize unmanned and autonomous systems across all domains,” the memo said.
A list of unmanned systems categories under the DRPM–UxS’s authority was also provided in the memo, noting that the “Sec War or Deputy SecWar may add or remove systems to the DRPM at their discretion.”
“Adversaries collectively produce millions of unmanned systems each year across all domains,” Hegseth wrote in the memo, explaining why the significant change in the logistics of unmanned systems is being undertaken.
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“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 fine print in the memo also clarified that the new DRPM will handle procurement of new unmanned systems via the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which will be the link between the DRPM-UxS and the Department of War.
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Hegseth Sets Out Clear Deadlines
Hegseth’s memo also lays out a series of deadlines for the new DRPM-UxS after the official is appointed. Within 30 days, the DRPM-UxS must begin hiring staff for key functions needed to rapidly execute the unmanned systems portfolio, including management, planning, legislative affairs, among others.
Within 60 days, the official must provide Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg with an organizational structure that establishes clear lines of responsibility. The memo sets two milestones for 90 days. By then, the DRPM-UxS must define the baseline for the unmanned systems portfolio by identifying all existing Service and Component programs. Finally, within 120 days, the DRPM-UxS must prepare a plan for major implementation actions.
