Exclusive: Pentagon’s DOGE Unit Set to Overhaul U.S. Military Drone Program

The Pentagon’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is leading efforts to make sweeping changes to the U.S. military’s drone program in the coming months, according to defense officials and people familiar with the matter. The plan aims to streamline procurement, boost domestic production, and acquire thousands of low-cost drones.

In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged to cut red tape and strengthen U.S. dominance in drone warfare by approving hundreds of American-made drone models and launching new training programs — a response to the massive use of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield, which exposed limitations in U.S. drone capabilities.

The DOGE unit’s involvement — previously unreported — gives it new influence over the Pentagon’s drone strategy, which President Donald Trump designated as a top defense priority in a June executive order, five sources said.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A troubled record and an ambitious reboot

The U.S. military has struggled for years to streamline drone procurement. In 2023, Pentagon leaders announced the Replicator Initiative, a department-wide push to acquire and deploy thousands of autonomous drones by August 2025. However, the Department of Defense has not provided an update on the program’s current status.

According to DefenseScoop, a Pentagon official said in September that Replicator’s capabilities were being “delivered to the right end-state users.” Reuters was unable to determine how DOGE’s new efforts might affect the initiative.

Trump has also ordered the Pentagon to revert its name to the Department of War, a symbolic change that would require congressional approval.

DOGE’s expanding influence

Initially led by billionaire Elon Musk, DOGE has slashed billions of dollars in government programs since Trump’s second term began, including several major Pentagon initiatives. Its new drone push reflects an effort to tackle long-standing challenges in sourcing U.S.-made drones, many of which still depend on Chinese components.

According to two sources, DOGE officials have requested detailed information from across the Pentagon — including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Defense Innovation Unit — regarding drone specifications such as weight, payload capacity, and operational range.

One person familiar with the matter said the DOGE team may submit a report to an executive committee in the Defense Secretary’s office as early as next week.

Another source said one of the program’s initial targets is to procure at least 30,000 drones in the coming months, with potential for expansion later. The move would be a major boost for U.S. drone makers like Red Cat, Skydio, and PDW, which already sell quadcopter models to the Army at prices ranging from a few thousand to several hundred thousand dollars. Venture-backed startup Nearus recently signed a contract with the Marines to supply its low-cost drone models.

Leadership and direction

The DOGE drone initiative is being led by Owen West, who co-authored Hegseth’s July drone memo and joined DOGE earlier this year, according to three sources. A former Marine and Goldman Sachs energy trader, West previously served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations in 2017.

His LinkedIn profile lists him as a financial analyst at the Department of Defense since February.

West did not respond to a request for comment.