AI Image
Half of Drones at US Army Exercise Were Expendable
Business Insider • • world
Key Points:
- The US Army is increasingly using low-cost, expendable drones in combat exercises, treating about half of them like ammunition that can be used and lost during missions.
- At the recent Saber Junction exercise in Germany, soldiers deployed around 1,900 autonomous drones, with 1,000 classified as consumable and used to achieve battlefield effects.
- The Drone Dominance Program aims to supply tens of thousands of drones to soldiers, with a $1 billion investment to purchase at least 200,000 drones by 2027, ensuring squads have ample, rapidly replaceable systems.
- Exercises incorporate lessons from the Ukraine conflict, focusing on drone use against electronic warfare and counter-drone threats, emphasizing drones as essential tools for sensing and striking quickly.
- Soldiers are also building and 3D printing drones in the field to customize and rapidly replenish their drone capabilities, significantly enhancing combat power when large numbers are available at the company level.
