WATCH: Hegseth discusses drone warfare at U.S. Army conference

Protesters shouted at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other military leaders on Wednesday as they spoke at a panel on drones during the U.S. Army's annual conference in Washington.

The six protesters appeared to yell about the war with Iran as well as Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion military budget for next year.

The speakers acknowledged the disruptions but continued their discussion, which focused initially on a need to open more military contracts to smaller businesses to develop more drones.

Others in the audience chanted "USA, USA" to counteract them at one point, but for the most part, the panel continued its discussion as the protesters were removed one by one.

Hegseth credits Ukraine for drone innovation, but cites dependence on Chinese parts

Hegseth said Wednesday that the U.S. military has gained knowledge about drone warfare from Ukraine, but noted the vulnerability of Ukraine's dependence on Chinese parts.

"We've learned a lot from Ukraine, but you can't use everything that's in Ukraine because of all the Chinese components involved in it," he said during a panel discussion at the U.S. Army's annual conference in Washington. "So you've got to be able to ensure that we take the best of that and the lessons learned."

Since Russia invaded more than four years ago, Ukraine has become a global leader in military drone innovation. But Ukrainian drone makers are highly dependent on electronics made by China, a key Russian ally.

Ukraine has concerns the Chinese government could severely restrict its access to these critical parts. It also worries that Russian defense companies needing these same supplies could be given preferential treatment by Chinese factories.