U.S. to disband drone unit that drew on Ukrainian Armed Forces’ experience: senators seek explanations, - AP
Drone Industry
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is demanding that the U.S. military explain why it ordered a unit stationed in Europe to stop specializing in drone warfare.
Associated Press reported this, according to Censor.NET.
Details
This refers to the Unmanned Assault Battalion, part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, which has about 600 soldiers. They independently developed drones and refined combat tactics that Ukraine was the first to deploy on a large scale in the war against Russia, and that Iran used in its conflict with the United States.
"We have deep concerns that eliminating this specialized drone unit will limit our ability to learn from allies, particularly the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and hinder our efforts to modernize drone warfare at the speed necessary to compete on the modern battlefield," this is stated in the lawmakers' letter.
Lawmakers are also seeking an explanation for this decision.
The letter was sent Tuesday to departing US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and General Christopher LaNeve, acting chief of staff of the US Army. The letter was signed by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, and Republican Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio.
"This specialized unit was a prudent response in a moment when the character of warfare is changing faster than a conventional formation’s ability to adapt," they emphasized in the letter.
Lawmakers want to understand what data, analysis, and procedures formed the basis for this decision, which was made less than a year after the unit began operations. They also want to determine whether the decision was made based on directives from Pentagon leadership or whether the U.S. Army made it on its own.
LaNeve, who is temporarily serving as the U.S. Army’s highest-ranking military official, recently ordered the battalion to focus on its primary mission—to serve as an airborne infantry unit.
"The move followed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sudden ousting of the Army’s prior chief of staff, Gen. Randy George.
Integrating drones into the Army’s tactics was a major focus for George. Last year, he and Driscoll had rolled out what they called the Army Transformation Initiative, which pushed to add "modernized (unmanned aircraft systems) into formations," journalists write.
George, who headed the U.S. Army’s headquarters under President Joe Biden, regularly spoke about the need to accelerate the development of new drone systems and make them available to regular service members, not just specialized units. Driscoll supported these efforts and focused on reducing red tape so that military contractors could quickly develop more drones.
"After George was ousted by Hegseth without explanation in April, he was replaced by LaNeve. This week, Driscoll submitted his own resignation and later said on social media that Wednesday would be his final full day on the job. A reason for his departure was not publicly revealed, but he was an ally of George, and his tensions with Hegseth have been widely reported," the publication recalls.
