- The U.S. Army plans to disband a special battalion of attack drones that was established in Europe to test new combat tactics and study lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.
- The battalion, established in January 2026 with about 600 soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Europe, was designed to study lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine and develop new concepts for integrating drones and ground robots into combat operations.
- The unit will take part in the Saber Junction exercise in Germany in August and September before presenting its findings to the Army. It will then abandon its drone assault role and return to its primary mission as an airborne infantry battalion, an Army official said.
- The move is part of a broader “back-to-basics” approach under LaNeve, who has been closely backed by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. LaNeve took over as acting Army chief after Gen. Randy George was removed in April.
- The decision has drawn criticism from defence experts who argue that scaling back a dedicated drone unit could slow the Army’s efforts to adapt to battlefield technologies that have become increasingly important in Ukraine and the Middle East.
- The drone battalion was created following an intensive effort by senior Army leaders to study Ukraine’s battlefield experience. Its personnel also trained alongside Ukrainian drone operators and participated in exercises involving Ukrainian forces.
- Hegseth has separately pledged $1.1 billion to expand U.S. military drone capabilities across the armed forces, including the Marine Corps and Special Operations Command.
- The Army said it remained committed to strengthening its drone capabilities, saying it was “accelerating U.S. military drone dominance” and continuing to test unmanned and counter-unmanned systems.
The U.S. Army plans to disband a special battalion of attack drones established in Europe to test new combat tactics and analyze lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. The battalion, formed in January 2023, aimed to integrate drones into combat operations and will participate in the Saber Junction exercise before reverting to its original airborne infantry role.13
The decision is part of a broader “back-to-basics” strategy under Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who has faced criticism for potentially hindering the Army's adaptation to modern warfare technologies. Defense experts argue that disbanding the unit could slow the Army's development of unmanned warfare capabilities, which have proven crucial in recent conflicts.4
A U.S. Army representative stated: “After participating in large-scale exercises in Germany in August and September, the unit will present its findings to the Army to guide future experiments, cease its role as an unmanned aerial vehicle assault unit, and refocus on its primary combat missions as an airborne infantry battalion.” The battalion was one of the key initiatives of LaNeve’s predecessor, Gen. Randy George, who was dismissed in April 2023.
Despite the disbandment, the Army remains committed to enhancing its drone capabilities, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledging $1.1 billion to expand military drone capabilities across the armed forces. However, the Army has not disclosed how it plans to accelerate the development of drone technologies following this change.7
“The battalion, established in January with about 600 soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, trained alongside Ukrainian drone operators. Critics like Michael O’Hanlon warn that disbanding could slow adaptation to drone warfare, while the Army says it remains committed to 'accelerating U.S. military drone dominance.'”
