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.
asserted
administration → claim → 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.”
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appearance → come → Agincourt
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.
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administration → boast → technology
“When we showed up, there was not a single one-way attack program at the Department of War.
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we → show → War
Not one,” Hegseth said.
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Hegseth → say → ?
“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.
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he → field → that
The U.S. had awarded its first one-way attack system contract in 2011 to AeroVironment, which developed the Switchblade drone.
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which → award → drone
The weapon saw its first deployment to soldiers in Afghanistan in late 2012.
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weapon → see → 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.
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which → refer → 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.
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Department → launch → August
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.
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U.S. → connect → goal
Hegseth’s declaration that the U.S. would field “hundreds of thousands” this year is unclear, according to public data.
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U.S. → field → 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.
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Program → announce → 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.
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targets → cite → 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.
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production → issue → year
Notably, the LUCAS saw its first combat deployment during Operation Epic Fury in Iran, but mostly in a supporting role.
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LUCAS → see → role
Half a dozen protesters periodically interrupted the panel of the military’s top leaders.
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protesters → interrupt → leaders
The protesters timed their interruptions to when Hegseth was speaking.
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Hegseth → time → interruptions
He was interrupted four times in five minutes at one point, and five or six times overall.
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He → interrupt → point
The protesters called him a “war criminal,” “f***ing Nazi,” and other derogatory terms.
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protesters → call → him
They referenced starvation in Gaza and the war in Iran to justify the outbursts.
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They → reference → outbursts
Each protester was quickly escorted out.
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protester → escort → ?
Hegseth was dismissive of them, at one point saying the interruptions were “semi-coordinated.”
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interruptions → say → point
The Aporia
