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OBSERVATORY / REGULATION

DoD Directive 3000.09 — Autonomy in Weapon Systems

Directive 3000.09 establishes DoD policy and review requirements for autonomy in weapon systems. The official directive controls; this neutral summary does not characterize any specific system's compliance.

Official source ↗
ConfirmedLast updated: Aug 20, 2026Supporting source ↗

Rule snapshot

JurisdictionUnited States Department of Defense
RegulatorU.S. Department of Defense
Topicautonomous weapon systems
Effective dateJan 2023
Current statusCurrent

Published requirements

  • appropriate levels of human judgment
  • testing and evaluation
  • senior review for covered systems
  • legal and safety review
Check the regulator before acting.

This educational summary is not legal or operational authorization. Rules, waivers and local restrictions can change.

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