Hegseth created a new office with directive authority over most ground robots, small drones, and maritime unmanned systems. It also expanded the counter-drone mission and designated DIU as the primary industry contact.

Last week, an Iranian drone hit a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. strikes followed on Iranian missile and radar sites.

Those events showed why faster decisions on unmanned systems now matter.

The memo came out this week. Hegseth created a new Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems. One office now holds directive authority over ground unmanned vehicles, most small air systems in Groups 1-3, almost all unmanned surface vessels, underwater systems, swarm software, and the related marketplaces. It reports directly to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and has real say on acquisition execution.

JIATF 401 falls under it, with an expanded mission to cover counter-drone operations across every domain. DIU becomes the main point of contact for industry.

This is not abstract reorganization. An Iranian one-way attack drone hit a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz last week, showing the low-cost threat this structure is meant to answer. Russia has scaled similar production with Iranian designs and Chinese parts.

The numbers they are putting into the field have been climbing for months. We have not matched that pace.

The old structure kept most unmanned work inside individual services. Each one moved at its own speed with its own priorities. The new office can cut across those lines within the programs it owns, changing how quickly an idea from a unit in the field turns into a contract or a fielding decision. It also changes where companies go when they want to bring something forward.

The intent is to push usable systems to smaller units faster. Not just a few high-end platforms, but enough attritable drones that a squad or platoon can actually use them during daily operations. The 2025 guidance already set a target for every squad to have low-cost expendable drones by the end of 2026.

This memo is the attempt to build the management structure that can deliver on it, while the FY2027 budget puts real money behind drone dominance and counter-unmanned systems.

Whether it works depends on how the office is staffed and how much authority it actually uses in the first six months. That will determine whether the memo speeds decisions or simply reshuffles them.

Short term, the next 90 days will be mostly about standing up the office and mapping which programs fall under it. Expect some friction as existing program offices figure out what stays with them and what shifts. No name has been announced for the new portfolio manager yet.

By early next year, the picture should start to clarify. Programs that cleanly fit within the stated scope - small UAS, ground robots, most maritime unmanned systems will likely see faster progress on requirements and funding. Larger collaborative systems that sit on the edge of the portfolio will likely remain closer to their original service leads.

The companies that move quickest are the ones already working with DIU and can show real production capacity at lower price points. Those who wait for perfect alignment inside the building will lose ground.

The budget numbers are already in motion. The question is whether the new structure can turn that money into fielded systems before the next operational surprise.

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An Iranian one-way attack drone hit a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25. CENTCOM struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites plus coastal radar the next two nights. Those exchanges happened while the June 17 memorandum was still in place. The events showed how quickly cheap unmanned systems can force a response and how thin the margins are on both sides for sustained operations.

The new DRPM-UxS now has to turn that reality into faster decisions. The office controls most small air systems, ground unmanned vehicles, and nearly all maritime unmanned platforms. It also absorbed an expanded JIATF 401 for counter-drone work. If the structure works, requirements that used to bounce between services should move quicker.

If it adds another approval layer, the gap between budget lines and fielded systems will stay wide.

Munitions replenishment will stay urgent. Precision strikes on Iranian infrastructure used inventory that needs to be replaced. Long-range systems and loitering munitions will continue to see strong demand signals through the rest of the year. At the same time, the pressure to field attritable unmanned systems at lower echelons will increase, especially for maritime patrol and force protection in chokepoints.

Partner work will accelerate in specific places. Gulf states took losses to Iranian drones and are already pulling in Ukrainian expertise on interception. That creates opportunities for U.S. companies to deliver C-UAS kits and training on compressed timelines.

Naval unmanned surface vessels will also get more attention as a way to maintain presence without putting more manned ships at risk.

The next six months will show whether the centralized authority actually shortens the path from operator need to contract award. Companies that can show production capacity on Group 1-3 systems and practical counter-drone solutions will have the clearest path to early movement.

Right now, everyone is talking about drones, autonomy, and AI.

But the main issue behind all of these is a lack of equipment.

June’s Tip of the Spear Pro report:

Attritable Mass: The Race to Build Affordable Military Scale

Explains how the Pentagon’s focus on low-cost missiles, autonomous systems, counter-drone platforms, and scalable production is changing the defense market.

The future might not be decided by who builds the most advanced system.

It could come down to who can build enough of them.

Upgrade to Tip of the Spear Pro and get the report today.