Hegseth Counter-UAS Memo Puts 30-Day Clock on Drone Defense Approvals

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s September 28, 2026, counter-UAS memorandum directs department components to accelerate cybersecurity, spectrum, weapons-safety and legal approvals for drone-defense systems. Authorities must document denials for JIATF-401 and escalate requests left unresolved for 30 days to the Secretary’s office, while reusing relevant approvals and test evidence. The directive requires a unified cybersecurity authorization process within 30 days, limits repetitive safety reviews and generally targets legal reviews within ten days of receiving required information. It permits conditional approvals where risks are manageable, while preserving existing operational-use rules and legal and public-safety requirements.