US Army Prepares for Influx of Small Drones
The U.S. Army is overhauling its training, logistics, and property accountability systems to manage an expected surge in small drones, including armed FPV systems. The effort focuses on training soldiers for precise employment and creating maintenance workflows to handle rapid attrition and upgrades. This shift signals a need for defense contractors to provide not just hardware, but also comprehensive support, training, and sustainment models.
- To change its drone acquisition process, the Army is launching an "Amazon-like" online marketplace that will allow units to buy vetted, commercially available drones directly, bypassing lengthy traditional procurement cycles. This model is intended to accelerate fielding and is inspired by Ukraine's "Brave1 Market," which allows frontline units to acquire technology directly from developers. - The Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program is the Army's largest single investment in small drones, with plans to field tens of thousands of systems. Companies involved in SRR Tranche 2 include Skydio with its X10D drone and Teal Drones with its Black Widow system. - A key initiative for one-way attack drones is the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program, designed to give Infantry Brigade Combat Teams a man-portable system to engage armored targets up to 20km away. Systems selected for the program include UVision's Hero-90 loitering munition. - This push is part of the broader Department of Defense "Replicator" initiative, which aims to field thousands of autonomous, attritable systems by August 2025 to counter the military mass of adversaries like China. Replicator 2, announced in September 2024, specifically focuses on countering small UAS threats. - The Army's FY25 budget request includes $447 million for counter-UAS programs, and leadership has a separate "Unfunded Priorities List" seeking an additional $581 million for small drones and C-UAS, citing that the technology is "changing faster than our budget can react." - A major cultural and procedural shift involves changing the designation of small drones from non-expendable property to expendable. Previously, a lost or crashed drone could trigger a time-consuming financial liability investigation for the soldier who was operating it. - To address the cost imbalance of using expensive missiles to shoot down cheap drones, the Army is exploring more affordable counter-drone options, including 3D printing and interceptor drones that can be produced for under $1,000. - Lessons from Ukraine have highlighted the vulnerability of traditional logistics, where supply convoys and depots are targeted by drones. This is forcing the Army to rethink logistics, moving from large, fixed hubs to dispersed, mobile, and concealed sustainment teams that can better survive on a drone-saturated battlefield.
