The Wrap: DOD’s New Drone Boss; DOGE’s Quiet Exit; OPM Dumps Paper – LinkedIn

MeriTalk MeriTalk Published Jul 2, 2026 Welcome to The Wrap for Thursday, July 2! From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in Federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today: DOD’s New Drone Boss Defense Secretary  Pete Hegseth  is establishing a new  drone boss  to serve as the  Defense Department’s  (DOD) single integrator for unmanned and autonomous systems – because the drone lane needed an air traffic controller. The new direct reporting portfolio manager for unmanned offensive and defensive systems, or  DRPM-UxS,  will oversee  development, procurement, fielding, sustainment, and operations  across all military domains. Hegseth’s  June 29 memo  says adversaries are producing millions of unmanned systems each year, while  the United States has been slow to field them at scale.  The office will have authority over small unmanned aerial systems, surface vessels, underwater vessels, ground systems, autonomy, artificial intelligence, swarming software, counter-drone systems, and related marketplaces.  The clock is already ticking:  DOD must hire staff within 30 days, submit an org chart within 60 days, and deliver a departmentwide inventory and implementation plan within 90 days. DOGE’s Quiet Exit The White House does not plan to issue a  final report  before the Department of Government Efficiency   (DOGE)
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