WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned and Autonomous Systems (DRPM-UxS) on June 29, 2026. The new entity serves as the "single joint integrator" for the Pentagon's autonomous and drone assets, investments, and operations.

The DRPM-UxS has directive authority over Unmanned Aerial Systems groups 1 through 3, autonomous ground vehicles, and unmanned surface vessels, with the exception of the Navy's Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel program. The entity oversees unmanned autonomy, artificial intelligence, swarming software, counter-unmanned systems, logistical support for unmanned systems, and unmanned and counter-unmanned system marketplaces. The DRPM-UxS coordinates with the DRPM for Submarines regarding unmanned underwater vessels.

"Drones and autonomous systems are the most consequential battlefield innovation of this generation," Hegseth said. "The [Pentagon] must move at the speed this moment demands." Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group are aligned under the DRPM-UxS.

The DRPM-UxS reports to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg. The Defense Innovation Unit serves as the primary industry engagement interface between the Department of Defense and commercial partners for programs within the DRPM-UxS portfolio. The body generates and enforces joint technical standards, interoperability requirements, and open architecture requirements for military drones and autonomous platforms.

The DRPM-UxS takes precedence on all acquisition matters related to the execution of unmanned and autonomous systems programs, after the Defense Secretary and Deputy Defense Secretary. The establishment memorandum sets deadlines for Department of Defense personnel to hire staff, inventory drone work, and define the organizational construct for the new DRPM. The authority of the DRPM-UxS excludes major unmanned airframes, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft. No individual has been named as the DRPM-UxS director.