We’re not certain if this action will end the debate over executive agency status for unmanned aerial vehicles, but, Reuters news service reports that the Pentagon’s No. 2 civilian has directed the Air Force and Army to jointly work acquisition of Predator/Warrior UAVs, which are basically the same airframe and both built by General Atomics. The two services are supposed to develop a common program proposal by some time in August. The Air Force sparked the executive agent controversy anew earlier this year, and since then lawmakers have vowed to end UAV duplication of effort.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.