Senator Says Hegseth to Create Centralized Pentagon Drone and Robotics Group

September 30, 2026 at 11:47 PM2 min

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is setting up a new Pentagon organization to manage and deploy drones and defense robotics, according to Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana. The new structure would centralize autonomous systems and robotics under a more powerful organizational umbrella, replacing the current disaggregated approach. Sheehy spoke on the sidelines of a defense conference before Hegseth delivered his State of the Force speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

Key Facts

The Pentagon is seeking $54.6 billion for its Defense Autonomous Warfare Group in the 2027 fiscal year budget.
Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana said the new structure is intended to be permanent, not a temporary task force.
Hegseth has deployed Task Force Scorpion, a unit using an attack drone based on Iran's Shahed system.
US forces in the Middle East have struggled to halt Iran's volleys of cheap one-way attack drones across the Persian Gulf.

Centralized Drone Command

Senator Tim Sheehy told Bloomberg News that autonomous systems and robotics will be placed in a more centralized and powerful organizational structure. The new structure replaces what Sheehy called a random, disaggregated 'buy what you want and figure it out' approach. Sheehy said the organization will be a true focus of the department and is intended to be permanent rather than a temporary task force. The senator added that the new structure will not create a new service branch.

Budget and Operations

The Pentagon is seeking $54.6 billion for its Defense Autonomous Warfare Group in the 2027 fiscal year budget. Hegseth has elevated the US military's use of drones and counter-drone technologies in planning and operations. Task Force Scorpion, a unit using an attack drone based on Iran's Shahed system, has been deployed. Despite intense bombardment during the war that started on Feb. 28, US forces in the Middle East have struggled to halt Iran's ability to send volleys of cheap one-way attack drones across the Persian Gulf.