Latest news with #militaryinnovation
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pete Hegseth issues order that will trigger China and Russia arms race
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a shock new order to fast track the production and deployment of drones, sparking fears of an arms race with Russia and China. Hegseth issued two memos seen by Fox News which rescinded a long held policy the restricting the usage of drones which he argued were limiting innovation. 'The Department's bureaucratic gloves are coming off,' Hegseth wrote. 'Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions... Our major risk is risk-avoidance.' Hegseth acknowledged that America's adversaries - namely Russia and China - have a 'head start' on the use of unmanned aircraft systems. 'Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year,' Hegseth wrote. 'While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. US units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires.' He said the Department of Defense had historically 'failed to field UAS [unmanned aircraft system] at scale and speed.' 'Small UAS are such critical force enablers that they must be prioritized at the same level as major weapons systems.' He hopes his new policy will help America to establish dominance in the drone sphere by the end of 2027. 'We will accomplish this urgent goal by combining the Nation's best qualities, including risk-taking,' he wrote. 'Senior officers must set the tone. Accelerating this critical battlefield technology requires a Department of War culture.' Under Hegseth's new rules, commanders who hold a ranking of colonel or captain will be able to independently obtain and test drones. This includes 3D-printed prototypes and off-the-shelf drones bought commercially. They will have to meet a certain criteria to quality. These drones will be able to be operated immediately. Hegseth's workaround sees small drones redefined from durable military assets - which required tracking systems - to consumables, which do not require such intense vetting processes. 'Next year I expect to see this capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,' Hegseth said. He vowed to expand training ranges by implementing at least three new UAS testing sites within the next 90 days. All drone arming requests must receive a response within 30 days, while battery certifications will take no more than seven days. The Pentagon will look to make advance purchase commitments within 30 days, favoring US companies as per the Trump administration's pledge to reinvest in American businesses.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pete Hegseth issues sweeping order to US forces that will trigger new arms race with China and Russia
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a shock new order to fast track the production and deployment of drones, sparking fears of an arms race with Russia and China. Hegseth issued two memos seen by Fox News which rescinded a long held policy the restricting the usage of drones which he argued were limiting innovation. 'The Department's bureaucratic gloves are coming off,' Hegseth wrote. 'Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions... Our major risk is risk-avoidance.' Hegseth acknowledged that America's adversaries - namely Russia and China - have a 'head start' on the use of unmanned aircraft systems. 'Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year,' Hegseth wrote. 'While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. US units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires.' He said the Department of Defense had historically 'failed to field UAS [unmanned aircraft system] at scale and speed.' 'Small UAS are such critical force enablers that they must be prioritized at the same level as major weapons systems.' He hopes his new policy will help America to establish dominance in the drone sphere by the end of 2027. 'We will accomplish this urgent goal by combining the Nation's best qualities, including risk-taking,' he wrote. 'Senior officers must set the tone. Accelerating this critical battlefield technology requires a Department of War culture.' Under Hegseth's new rules, commanders who hold a ranking of colonel or captain will be able to independently obtain and test drones. This includes 3D-printed prototypes and off-the-shelf drones bought commercially. They will have to meet a certain criteria to quality. These drones will be able to be operated immediately. Hegseth's workaround sees small drones redefined from durable military assets - which required tracking systems - to consumables, which do not require such intense vetting processes. 'Next year I expect to see this capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,' Hegseth said. He vowed to expand training ranges by implementing at least three new UAS testing sites within the next 90 days. All drone arming requests must receive a response within 30 days, while battery certifications will take no more than seven days. The Pentagon will look to make advance purchase commitments within 30 days, favoring US companies as per the Trump administration's pledge to reinvest in American businesses. The decision comes just weeks after Israel relied heavily on drone strikes during its bombing of Iran. Iran hit back with drones of its own. Drones have also become a key part of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Fox News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Hegseth tears up red tape, orders Pentagon to begin drone surge at Trump's command
FIRST ON FOX: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued sweeping new orders to fast-track drone production and deployment, allowing commanders to procure and test them independently and requiring drone combat simulations across every branch of the military. As part of an aggressive push to outpace Russia and China in unmanned warfare, "the Department's bureaucratic gloves are coming off," Hegseth wrote. "Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions... Our major risk is risk-avoidance." In a pair of memos first obtained by Fox News Digital, Hegseth rescinded legacy policies that he believes restricted innovation. For the first time, commanders with the rank of colonel or captain can independently procure and test drones, including 3D-printed prototypes and commercial-off-the-shelf systems, as long as they meet national security criteria. They can also operate and train with drones immediately, bypassing traditional approval bottlenecks, and are even authorized to test non-lethal autonomous UAS in controlled environments. "Small UAS resemble munitions more than high-end airplanes," one instruction stated. "They should be cheap, rapidly replaceable, and categorized as consumable." The memos redefine small drones (Group 1 and 2) as consumables — not durable military assets — removing them from legacy tracking systems and simplifying acquisition. To date, Hegseth said, the Department of Defense has "failed to field UAS [unmanned aircraft system] at scale and speed." "Small UAS are such critical force enablers that they must be prioritized at the same level as major weapons systems." Commanders are instructed to work with the FAA to "remove inappropriate range restrictions, fast-track and expand spectrum approval, and establish a variety of UAS training areas that include live fire, combined arms, and swarm testing." Training ranges will be expanded, with three new UAS national test sites mandated within 90 days. Weaponization, long a sticking point, will also move faster: Weapons Boards must now respond to drone arming requests within 30 days, and battery certifications must be processed within a week. While America's adversaries have a "head start" in the world of small UAS, Hegseth expect the U.S. to establish domain dominance by the end of 2027. "Next year I expect to see this capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars," Hegseth said, adding that investment methods outlined in Trump's Unleashing American Drone Dominance executive order are being investigated. The Pentagon will now build a "dynamic, AI-searchable Blue List," a digital platform cataloging approved drone components, vendors, and performance ratings. By 2026, this system will be run by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and fueled by data from nightly AI retraining pipelines. To jump-start the drone industry, the Pentagon will pursue advance purchase commitments, direct loans and other capital incentives within 30 days. Major purchases "shall favor U.S. companies," one memo said. The move comes at a time when the lethal capabilities of modern drone warfare have been proven on the ground in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, drones have redefined modern warfare. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have used unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to reshape tactics on the battlefield and gather real-time intelligence. What started as basic surveillance and artillery targeting has rapidly evolved into lethal deployments of so-called "kamikaze drones" — loitering munitions designed to hover before zeroing in on targets deep behind enemy lines. Among the most prolific and controversial of these is Iran's Shahed-136, a low-cost, GPS-steered drone supplied to Russian forces. Fired in large formations, the Shaheds have been instrumental in attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and residential zones, often bypassing expensive missile systems at a fraction of the cost. In response, Ukraine has modified commercial drones to deliver explosive payloads against Russian trenches, vehicles, and naval targets in the Black Sea. Earlier this month, Israel relied heavily on drone strikes during Operation Rising Lion, coordinating them with manned air missions to target high-level Iranian military officials and nuclear infrastructure. Iran retaliated with its own barrage of drones. The rapid adoption of drones has triggered major shifts in doctrine, spurred the development of electronic countermeasures and ignited debate over whether drones are poised to overtake manned aircraft as the dominant force in future air combat.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
‘Hero of Ukraine' commander develops drone-proof uniforms
One of Ukraine's most decorated soldiers has developed an armoured combat suit to protect troops from drone attacks. Major Oleh Shyriaiev, who was recently granted the highest military title of Hero of Ukraine, said he designed the outfit to be shrapnel resistant to save more lives. The suit uses a combination of kevlar, a heat-resistant synthetic fibre that was originally used as a replacement for steel in racing tyres, and other materials that have the ability to absorb the impact of shrapnel. Kevlar is not as effective at stopping bullets as the ceramic plates often used in traditional body armour. However, it is lighter and provides good protection against shrapnel, which has become the main battlefield threat because of the proliferation of drones. Major Shyriaiev said his experience of drone warfare prompted him to design the suit. He said: 'The idea of these armoured overalls was my initiative and is something that hasn't existed before. 'The reason for thinking about this is drones. When an enemy of a drone drops a grenade or explosive device, whether it hits a soldier or group of soldiers, there is shrapnel and ballistic powder flying around, which have different starting velocities and weight. 'Russia is working at a fairly brisk tempo in developing and using unmanned systems so we need to anticipate that. 'We are working and developing this idea so that in addition to bullet proof vests and helmets, the overalls will be made from so called 'armoured fabric' that stop shrapnel of certain sizes penetrating the material.' He explained that the new overalls need to provide 'maximum possible protection' for the body, and that they include reinforced elbow, knee and ankle protection. Designers are also looking into how they can make shoes with insoles that are resistant to the kind of impacts seen on the battlefield. Militaries rarely use fully armoured suits outside of specialised units such as bomb disposal because of the impact on mobility and risk of overheating. Russian special forces units have also occasionally been seen in protective overalls for tasks such as anti-terror raids. Traditional bulletproof vests can be removed when mobility is a greater priority than protection, such as on long marches onto the battlefield. They provide some blast protection, but are chiefly designed to carry heavy plates that protect vital organs from bullets. The move to integrate armour into clothing reflects the fact that the war in Ukraine has become largely static. Troops remain in the same position for long periods of time and the main threat is from drone and artillery blasts, not small arms fire. Major Shyriaiev was awarded the Hero of Ukraine – the highest award that can be conferred on a citizen by the president – after taking part in the summer 2024 incursion into Russia's Kursk region. He began his career during the separatist uprising in the Donbas in 2014, before the widespread adoption of drones. Now unmanned aerial systems have revolutionised the battlefield He noted the particular effectiveness of fibre optic drones, which cannot be countered by electronic measures and do not tend to lose signal as they are connected directly with a unit's command centre. 'These are top of the game,' he said. Major Shyriaiev stressed that, despite the ability of drones to 'control territory in a better fashion', the humble infantryman remains key to victory. He said: 'Without infantry war is impossible. 'There is no way a drone can replace a soldier. A soldier guides a drone, a soldier makes decisions, a soldier opens fire and a soldier makes observations with a human eye. 'Thanks to drones we control territory and now its summer trees have foliage, which conceals and covers silhouettes of people, and drones can't capture this. 'In general in war one cannot win by one tactical thing. You need drones and video but there is infantry, reconnaissance and observation points which all help Command and Control to see what's happening on the front line.' Nato members met on Wednesday and agreed to raise their defence spending target to 5 per cent, which had been demanded by Donald Trump. Ahead of the meeting Major Shyriaiev said: 'I am convinced the EU and UK will be raising their spending on defence. They will be strengthening their army according to requirements of modern war.' He warned of Russia's 'predatory ambitions' to conquer more countries in Europe, from Poland to Moldova and even parts of Finland. He said that while Russia's army cannot compare with Nato standards, it is still 'making progress'. Major Shyriaiev added: 'It learns lessons and adapts to conditions of modern war. Even if they don't want to fulfil orders they can be forced to do that and thanks to that they are moving forwards.' For now, Major Shyriaiev's main focus is on winning the war. Once that is achieved he will be reunited with his wife and two young children, who live in Kharkiv and whom he keeps in touch with via Facetime and on the rare occasions that he can visit home. He said: 'I understand that life is passing by but I have an important assignment to fulfil. 'Let's see how the war develops. I don't want my children to fight this war for me. I'd like to finish this war before they grow up once and for all.'
Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
‘Hero of Ukraine' commander develops drone-proof uniforms
One of Ukraine's most decorated soldiers has developed an armoured combat suit to protect troops from drone attacks. Major Oleh Shyriaiev, who was recently granted the highest military title of Hero of Ukraine, said he designed the outfit to be shrapnel resistant to save more lives. The suit uses a combination of kevlar, a heat-resistant synthetic fibre that was originally used as a replacement for steel in racing tyres, and other materials that have the ability to absorb the impact of shrapnel. Kevlar is not as effective at stopping bullets as the ceramic plates often used in traditional body armour. However, it is lighter and provides good protection against shrapnel, which has become the main battlefield threat because of the proliferation of drones. Major Shyriaiev said his experience of drone warfare prompted him to design the suit. He said: 'The idea of these armoured overalls was my initiative and is something that hasn't existed before. 'The reason for thinking about this is drones. When an enemy of a drone drops a grenade or explosive device, whether it hits a soldier or group of soldiers, there is shrapnel and ballistic powder flying around, which have different starting velocities and weight. 'Russia is working at a fairly brisk tempo in developing and using unmanned systems so we need to anticipate that. 'We are working and developing this idea so that in addition to bullet proof vests and helmets, the overalls will be made from so called 'armoured fabric' that stop shrapnel of certain sizes penetrating the material.'
