The Department of State will begin reviewing export requests of unmanned aerial systems in the same manner it assesses manned fighter aircraft, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved an update to the practice.
In a statement issued Monday, the department said the shift aligns the practice with President Donald Trump’s goal to “maintain the world’s strongest and most technologically advanced military through a dynamic defense industrial base and a robust network of capable partners and allies.”
The agency added that putting drones under the same scrutiny as fighter jets during arms transfer reviews allows the United States to be more efficient in managing foreign military sales requests.
The changes complement modifications made to the national Missile Technology Control Regime-focused export policy under National Security Memorandum 28 and promote reforms made under the 2020 Revised UAS Export Policy.
The State Department’s update is part of a wider U.S. effort to modernize export rules, including a 2024 Commerce Department interim rule that created exceptions for certain advanced technologies — such as quantum computing and semiconductor equipment — to promote collaboration with trusted allies.
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