Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed the Department of War would field “hundreds of thousands” of one-way attack systems in 2026, and that the second Trump administration inherited no such programs from the Biden administration.
Hegseth’s first appearance at the Association of the United States Army annual convention in Washington, D.C., came on its final day, speaking at the “Project Agincourt: Autonomous Warfare Panel.” Boasting the second Trump administration’s progress in developing one-way attack systems, he claimed the administration deserved full credit for the capabilities and that the Biden administration had neglected the technology.
“When we showed up, there was not a single one-way attack program at the Department of War. Not one,” Hegseth said.
“Ultimately, we will be fielding hundreds of thousands of one-way attack systems this year, and into the millions in years to come, at a pace that this department has never ever seen before,” he added.
The U.S. had awarded its first one-way attack system contract in 2011 to AeroVironment, which developed the Switchblade drone. The weapon saw its first deployment to soldiers in Afghanistan in late 2012.
Hegseth was likely referring to medium- and long-range one-way attack systems, on par with Iranian Shahed drones, which showcased their effectiveness in Ukraine after their adoption by Russia. The Biden administration’s Department of Defense launched the Replicator Initiative on Aug. 28, 2023, a program aimed at fielding thousands of uncrewed one-way attack systems by August 2025. Though it wasn’t directly publicly connected to the Replicator Initiative, the U.S. notably unveiled the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System in July 2025, though not in the numbers hoped for by the Replicator Initiative’s original goal.
Hegseth’s declaration that the U.S. would field “hundreds of thousands” this year is unclear, according to public data. The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Program, announced late last year, aimed to produce 300,000 one-way attack drones over the next several years, rather than in 2026. Military.com, citing internal planning and industry documentation from December 2025, said the “aggressive” early production targets aimed for 30,000 drones delivered by July 2026 and over 200,000 by 2027. The Pentagon issued its first order for 30,000 drones in March, casting doubt on whether production could reach hundreds of thousands by the end of the year.
Notably, the LUCAS saw its first combat deployment during Operation Epic Fury in Iran, but mostly in a supporting role.
Half a dozen protesters periodically interrupted the panel of the military’s top leaders.
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The protesters timed their interruptions to when Hegseth was speaking. He was interrupted four times in five minutes at one point, and five or six times overall. The protesters called him a “war criminal,” “f***ing Nazi,” and other derogatory terms. They referenced starvation in Gaza and the war in Iran to justify the outbursts.
Each protester was quickly escorted out. Hegseth was dismissive of them, at one point saying the interruptions were “semi-coordinated.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
