General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has urged billionaire Elon Musk to push forward major reform as it complained that several countries, including Türkiye, have gained a competitive advantage against the leading U.S. defense manufacturer in the global drone market.
In a letter to Musk, GA-ASI's CEO Linden Blue also asked the Trump administration to reform the Pentagon's contracting system, saying it was too slow and bureaucratic to combat threats from China and Iran.
Tesla CEO Musk has been tasked with streamlining U.S. government efficiency as co-head of the Department of Operational Guidance and Efficiency (DODGE).
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which makes the popular Predator drone, joins a growing list of firms that have viewed the DOGE efficiency panel as a route to lobby for the removal of rules that slow the sale of military equipment.
L3Harris Technologies, one of the world's biggest defense contractors, also called on the panel to reform the Pentagon's contracting system earlier this month, citing similar concerns.
Blue urged Musk to reform the defense acquisition system to enhance its efficiency and contribution to national security.
"Within GA-ASI’s own export market, poor US Government (USG) policy and sluggish bureaucratic decision-making has opened the door for competitors like China, Turkey, and Israel to win important international customers," Blue said in the letter dated Jan. 24.
"Sales lost to these competitors while we waited on some USG action means less funding available for re-investment into R&D and modernized manufacturing infrastructure," he noted.
"Bold leadership is needed. Past reform efforts, often supervised by the very organizations most in need of reform, have failed. DOGE has the potential to drive meaningful change, and we are ready to help where we can."
Türkiye dominates 65% of the global drone export market, according to the U.S.-based think tank Center for a New American Security,
Baykar alone is said to hold nearly 60% of the market – three times the size of its closest U.S. competitor. The Turkish company's Bayraktar TB2 combat drones gained prominence globally after being used by Ukraine's military against Russian forces as well as in campaigns in Azerbaijan and North Africa.
The Bayraktar TB2 bears the title of the most-exported combat drone in the world, according to company officials. Baykar is also manufacturing heavy Akıncı drones and is developing Kızılelma, Türkiye's first unmanned fighter jet, and Bayraktar TB3 drone, tailored for the country's first aircraft carrier.
The company has signed agreements with at least 34 countries for its Bayraktar TB2 and some 10 nations for the Akıncı drones.
Alongside Baykar, the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is also a major manufacturer and exporter known for its Anka and Aksungur drones.
GA-ASI's Blue suggested that the U.S. government could accelerate larger system acquisitions by setting time limits on Pentagon milestones.
He criticized what he called "significant friction and resistance from the establishment," citing, in particular, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), saying it should be reoriented away from drone exports and focus instead on ballistic missile technology tied to weapons of mass destruction.
"We should counter the unfair market advantages gained by foreign suppliers not subject to self-imposed MTCR limitations. Further, we must objectively balance the prioritization of technology security with that of arming allies and partners (using their own money!) for future conflicts and increased burden-sharing," he wrote.
Blue also called on Musk to streamline the Foreign Military Sales program and to use government authorities to expedite sales with the aim of "prioritizing warfighter needs over obsession with process."
President Donald Trump created DOGE following his November election, naming Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as its co-heads, with the aim to dismantle bureaucracy, cut regulations and restructure agencies.
Speeding up Pentagon contracting could potentially boost profits for companies that do business with the defense department. Companies normally pay lobbyists millions of dollars to advocate on their behalf.
