The Pentagon’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is taking charge of a major revamp of the US military’s drone program, aiming to simplify procurement, boost domestic production, and buy tens of thousands of affordable drones soon, officials said.
In July, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth promised to strengthen America’s drone power by cutting bureaucracy, approving hundreds of new US-made drone models, and launching training programs for future “drone wars.” The move follows lessons from Ukraine, where drones have reshaped modern warfare and revealed US weaknesses.
The DOGE unit, originally founded by Elon Musk, has already saved billions across government programs and now seeks to fix America’s reliance on Chinese-made drone parts. DOGE is collecting data from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps to prepare a detailed report for the Pentagon leadership next week.
Their goal is to procure at least 30,000 drones in the coming months, with potential contracts for companies like Skydio, Red Cat, PDW, and Neros. The initiative is being led by Owen West, a former Marine and senior Defence official, now working inside DOGE to fast-track the project.
