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The Pentagon is overhauling how it builds and buys drones, after military exercises in Alaska
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exposed some serious shortfalls. U.S.-made drones failed to launch, missed targets, or crashed
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Jammer tech often didn't work, which isn't great because officials say China is way ahead
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Beijing-based DJI banned from U.S. military use can produce millions of drones a year
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The U.S., just a fraction of that. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is now changing the rules
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Under a July memo titled Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance, the SECDEF said low-cost drones will now be treated like bullets, not aircraft
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so commanders can deploy them fast. That means no more high-bar certification
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3D printing is in, and NATO standards, well, some will get skipped
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Units like Nero's, which stood out in recent testing with its Archer UAV
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is among the few American firms gaining traction. PDW is another that we've talked about before at Straight Arrow News
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With the new guidelines in place, each military branch must now create its own drone units
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Training ranges are also being built. And by the end of 2026, the goal is pretty clear
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Every U.S. squad gets a drone, starting with Indo-Pacific, forces. Officials say the changes reflect the new battlefield reality. In Ukraine, small drones
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already reshaped combat. In a future near-peer conflict, they could be the key for the U.S. to
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maintain its edge, or they could be a major weakness. For more of our unbiased
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