LEAD Act of 2025

This bill changes how the U.S. controls the export of certain military drones. It says reusable drones and their parts that are already on the U.S. Munitions List will be treated like crewed aircraft for export rules, not like missiles. In short, these drones would no longer be lumped in with “missile technology,” which can carry stricter limits. Instead, they would be reviewed under the same standards used for manned military aircraft . The bill defines “covered” drones as reusable unmanned aircraft systems and related items that are controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and listed in the Missile Technology Control Regime Annex .

The President would have 180 days to update federal rules to reflect this shift—making clear that these drones are separate from missile tech and are reviewed like manned aircraft. It also directs the U.S. to treat these drones separately from missiles when working with allies on co-production and co-development .

• Who could feel this change day to day? U.S. drone makers might see a clearer, possibly faster path to approved sales abroad. Allied countries could find it easier to buy or build drones with the U.S. Communities tied to aerospace and defense could see more jobs if exports grow. Standard arms-export reviews and safeguards would still apply, just under the “aircraft” track rather than the “missile” track .