LEAD Act of 2025

This bill changes how the U.S. controls exports of certain military drones. It says reusable unmanned aircraft systems and related items will be treated like manned aircraft, not like missiles, when the U.S. decides whether they can be sold or shared abroad. Only drones and related items that are already on U.S. defense control lists and listed in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex, and that are designed to be reused, are covered.

The bill directs the President to update federal export rules within 180 days so these drones are reviewed under the same standards as manned aircraft, and under criteria specific to their technology. It also says the U.S. will treat these drones separately from missile technology under MTCR, including for co-production and co-development with allies, and they should not face MTCR missile controls or reviews.

• Who is affected: U.S. drone makers and defense exporters; federal export-control offices; U.S. allies seeking U.S. drones.
• What changes: Covered reusable drones are treated like manned aircraft for export decisions, not like missiles; export rules and lists must be updated to reflect this and use drone-specific review criteria; MTCR missile controls do not apply to these drones.
• When: Updates to the regulations must be made within 180 days after the law takes effect.