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War Department Asks Industry to Make More Than 300K Drones, Quickly, Cheaply

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

The War Department requested information earlier this week to gauge industry’s willingness and ability to make some 300,000 drones quickly and inexpensively — a concrete effort by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to directly meet the “drone dominance” goals laid out by the president.

On June 6, President Donald J. Trump signed the “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” executive order outlining how the United States would up its drone game in both the commercial and military sectors, including how it would deliver massive amounts of inexpensive, American-made, lethal drones to U.S. military units to amplify their combat capabilities.

Hegseth followed up in July with the “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” memorandum, in which he laid out his plan for how the department would meet the president’s intent.

Part of the secretary’s plan included participating with other parts of government in building up the nascent U.S. drone manufacturing base by approving hundreds of American products for purchase by the department, powering a “technological leapfrog” by arming combat units with the very best of low-cost American-made drones, and finally, training as the department expects to fight.

“Next year I expect to see [drone] capability integrated into all relevant combat training, including force-on-force drone wars,” the secretary said.

At that time, Hegseth said, he had already advanced American drone dominance by stripping away regulations that hindered the military’s adoption of small drones and shifting the necessary authorities away from the department’s bureaucracy and into the hands of unit commanders.

“This was the first step in the urgent effort to boost lethality across the force,” Hegseth said in a video posted today to social media.

Now the War Department is moving out in a new way on the drone dominance initiative, Hegseth said.

“The second step is to kickstart U.S. industrial capacity and reduce prices, so our military can adequately budget for unmanned weapons,” the secretary said.

He noted that, with help from Congress, the department will initially focus on small attack drones.

“Drone dominance is a billion-dollar program funded by President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill,” Hegseth said. “It is purpose-built on the pillars of the War Department’s new acquisition philosophy: a stable demand signal to expand the U.S. drone industrial base by leveraging private capital, paired with flexible contracting built for commercial companies, founded by our best engineers and entrepreneurs.”

A stable demand signal means the War Department will make concrete plans to buy lots of drones, on a regular schedule, over a long period of time. When that happens, American industry will step up to the plate to satisfy the department’s needs, including by investing in and building out its own capacity to produce in the long term.

The request for information released to industry this week spells out a plan that’ll begin early next year, when the department will, over the course of two years, and within four phases, offer $1 billion to industry to build a large number of small unmanned aerial systems capable of conducting one-way attack missions.

The first of those four phases, called “gauntlets,” runs from February to July 2026. During that time, 12 vendors will be asked to collectively produce 30,000 drones at a cost of $5,000 per unit, for a total of $150 million in department outlays.

Over the course of the next three gauntlets, the number of vendors will go down from 12 to five, the number of drones ordered will increase from 30,000 to 150,000, and the price per drone will drop from $5,000 to $2,300.

“Drone dominance will do two things: drive costs down and capabilities up,” Hegseth said. “We will deliver tens of thousands of small drones to our force in 2026, and hundreds of thousands of them by 2027.”

Through the drone dominance program, $1 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill will fund the manufacture of approximately 340,000 small UASs for combat units over the course of two years.

After that, it’s expected that American industry’s interest in building drones as a result of the program will have strengthened supply chains and manufacturing capacity to the point that the military will be able to afford to buy the drones it wants, in the quantity it wants, at a price it wants, through regular budgeting.

Equipment is only part of the game, the secretary said. Doctrine — how the warfighter fights — is also critical.

“I will soon be meeting with the military services to discuss transformational changes in warfighting doctrine,” Hegseth said. “We need to outfit our combat units with unmanned systems at scale. We cannot wait. The funding provided by the Big Beautiful Bill is ready to be used to mount an effective sprint to build combat power. At the Department of War, we are adopting new technologies with a ‘fight tonight’ philosophy — so that our warfighters have the cutting-edge tools they need to prevail.”

Following the end of the Cold War, Hegseth said, U.S. defense spending dropped precipitously, and as a result, there was also a consolidation of defense contractors from hundreds to just dozens. The department, he said, budgeted for quality rather than quantity — and for 30 years got what it needed.

“However, we now find ourselves in a new era,” he said. “An era of cheap, disposable battlefield drones. We cannot be left behind — we must invest in inexpensive, unmanned platforms that have proved so effective.”

Drone dominance, he said, is how the U.S. will meet the drone challenge posed by other nations.

“One of my priorities is rebuilding our military,” Hegseth said. “We can’t do that by doing business the same way we have in the past. We cannot afford to shoot down cheap drones with $2 million missiles. And we ourselves must be able to field large quantities of capable attack drones.”

By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News

Posted in Drone, Guest Post | No Comments »

Va ARNG 116th IBCT Officially Converted to Mobile Brigade Combat Team

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

STAUNTON, Va. –

The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was officially converted to the 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team effective Oct. 16, 2025, by the Army Structure Memorandum, commonly referred to as the ARSTRUC.

“Our official designation to MBCT marks a major milestone in the Army’s effort to modernize its combat formations for 21st-century warfare,” said Col. Arthur S. Moore, commander of the 116th.

The 116th was the first Army National Guard brigade to test and evaluate an approved task organization for a mobile brigade combat team during their 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation in June 2025 at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The MBCT concept is part of the U.S. Army’s transformation initiative with the goal of making units more agile and lethal.

The mobile brigade combat team force structure focuses on three infantry battalions and the addition of a multi-purpose company in each battalion and a multi-functional reconnaissance company in the brigade.

These elements were able to integrate unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare systems and mobility and allowed the 116th to explore different methods to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting during XCTC, he said.

“The battlefield is changing,” Moore said. “The future belongs to Soldiers with superior field discipline who can move, strike, communicate and sustain for extended periods. The MBCT force design gives us that edge.”

The transformation initiative also converts the Danville-based 429th Brigade Support Battalion as the 429th Light Support Battalion, and the Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion and the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment are scheduled to inactivated effective Sept. 29, 2026.

“While transformation re-centralizes several capabilities from the brigade level up to the division level, the BCT remains the Army’s primary tactical maneuver force,” Moore said. “Every Soldier, all hands on deck, will have every opportunity to continue to serve during and after the transition.”

Transformation has given the 116th an opportunity to collaborate and dialogue with active U.S. Army unit already operating as MBCTs and leverage lessons learned to facilitate the transition, he said.

“As Guardsmen, we’re bringing our civilian skills and empowering Soldiers to challenge assumptions, experiment and innovate,” he said. “We’re preparing for the first battle alongside the active U.S. Army if our nation calls upon us.”

The 116th has already seen the benefits of new unmanned aerial systems and command and control capabilities. This equipment will greatly enhance the 116th’s effectiveness and lethality, and the new Infantry Squad Vehicles will better equip Soldiers and formations for tactical mobility. Initial fielding of the ISVs should begin before the end of the calendar year, Moore said.

“The rifle and rucksack still matter, but they’re now joined by sensors and platforms that give our infantry more reach, awareness and options,” he said.

In the MBCT formation, battalion scout, mortar and assault platoons moved to a battalion multipurpose company to provide ground and aerial reconnaissance, indirect fire support, launched effects, counter unmanned aerial systems and deception capabilities to fix and attrit enemy forces that allows for infantry companies to close with and destroy the enemy.

The multi-function reconnaissance company provides reconnaissance and surveillance for the brigade to enable targeting and provide timely, accurate reporting of enemy activity, detect and target enemy high payoff targets and enhance the brigade’s overall lethality and survivability.

“The MBCT force design makes us more lethal, mobile and survivable in a large-scale combat operations environment,” Moore said.

The MPCs and MFRC were employed along with the 116th’s three infantry battalions during the culminating field training exercise near the end of the XCTC rotation.

There are also significant impacts to personnel unique to the National Guard as part of the transformation process. Lessons learned from Virginia are being shared with other states conducting transformation to mitigate impacts to Soldiers affected by inactivating units, he said.

The 229th and 2-183rd will begin the process of reassigning Soldiers and turning in equipment over the coming months until they case their unit colors in September 2026. Members of these units will be reassigned within the new MBCT force structure and to other units in the Virginia Army National Guard.

The 116th will continue on the path of transforming as a mobile brigade combat team with the addition of new equipment later this year and preparing for a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation in Summer 2026.

By Cotton Puryear | Virginia National Guard Public Affairs

Posted in Army, Forces Focus, Guest Post | No Comments »

Ranger Course Marks 75 Years of Leadership Development

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025

FORT BENNING, Ga. — The U.S. Army Ranger Course has served as the Army’s crucible for developing the functional skills and mental toughness required of platoon and squad leaders in close combat for three-quarters of a century. The course marked its 75th anniversary on Nov. 25, 2025, affirming its vital, continuing role in creating adaptive and decisive leaders for the modern force.

Honoring the Legacy

The celebration, hosted by the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, began with the dedication of the Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. Memorial, marking the official kickoff of the anniversary observance. This statue now resides near Hurley Hill, within Camp Rogers, a location described by retired Brig. Gen. Pete Jones as a “sacred place for generations of Rangers” seeking to earn the coveted tab. Puckett’s lifelong dedication was not just to the fight, but to his troops. The statue, depicting the colonel at attention and saluting, fulfills his specific wish to be positioned “overlooking Ranger graduations,” a detail shared by retired Col. Rob Choppa. This ensures that as candidates begin their intense journey, they appreciate the benefactor whose standard they strive to meet. Puckett, who organized and led the first Ranger company in the Korean War, embodies the selfless courage and resolute leadership that remain the core requirement for every graduate.

Maneuver Center of Excellence Commander, Maj. Gen. Colin P. Tuley, emphasized Colonel Puckett’s profound influence: “The generations of Soldiers mark their encounter with Colonel Puckett as pivotal to their journey toward leadership.” Tuley noted that Puckett believed that you could take good men and “by combat-focused, realistic, high-standard training, turn them into combat infantrymen, effective Soldiers, Rangers.” Tuley added that the course reveals true character, stating about Puckett, “The Battle at Hill 205 didn’t make him who he was—it revealed who he was.”

Evolution of the Crucible

The core mission of the Ranger Course—to develop leaders who perform effectively under extreme stress—remains unchanged, but the curriculum has undergone significant, necessary adaptation since its formal origin in 1950 during the Korean War. The course began with the formation and training of 17 Airborne Ranger companies, including the first and only all-Black Ranger Company—the Second Ranger Company—which served with distinction.

Originally a 59-day program, the course length and content have shifted repeatedly to meet the demands of the global strategic environment. Ranger training became mandatory for all Army officers in 1967 during the Vietnam War before returning to a volunteer status in 1972. Originally established as The Ranger Department, the training structure was managed by various committees until 1987. These specialized committees included the Morgan Team (City Week), the Darby Committee, the Rogers Team, the Light Leaders Course, the Long Range Surveillance Leaders Course, Merrill’s Platoon, and B.co Rangers. The Department evolved into the current ARTB structure in the late 1980s, eventually consolidating its operations at Camp Rogers after the formation of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in 1987. The changes were always reflective of the threats facing the nation; for instance, a dedicated desert phase was notably added in the 1980s before being removed in the mid-1990s as strategic focus shifted.

The Ranger Course remains the premier small-unit tactical leadership course precisely because of its commitment to evolution and continuing relevance. A critical shift occurred in 2015 when the course was permanently opened to women, following the successful completion by Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver. Today, the course is set at 62 days and retains its brutal efficacy across three distinct phases: Darby (patrolling fundamentals), Mountain (terrain-specific operations), and Swamp (waterborne and sustained logistics), ensuring that every graduate, regardless of gender, can execute complex dismounted operations anywhere in the world.

The Enduring Standard

Reflecting on his graduation in 1979, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry Klein (Ranger Class 6-79) provided a clear perspective on the internal transformation and enduring standards of the course. Klein emphasized that the fundamental requirement is not simply to meet basic physical and tactical metrics. While proficiency is essential, the true difference between Rangers and other Soldiers is the conditions under which Rangers perform and operate. “Ranger standards are Army standards, Klein explained, however, “ARTB deliberately heightens the difficulty of the training, intentionally making the circumstances far worse than anyone can imagine.” This is not arbitrary cruelty; it is a vital part of the curriculum.

This focus on internal resilience and condition-based leadership is precisely why the core of the Ranger Course has remained constant throughout the last 75 years. The essential objective has never changed: to guarantee that a leader, deprived of sleep, food, and comfort, can still execute the mission, maintain discipline, and prioritize their Soldiers. The Ranger Course is not designed to measure existing knowledge; it is designed to measure character, resilience, and the capacity for moral and physical endurance—qualities that are essential in every conflict, regardless of the technology or strategic era.

Looking to the Future

Following the Puckett statue dedication ceremony, the celebration transitioned to a large family day at Camp Rogers. This included a 5K run, a cornhole tournament, and various family activities, all supported by live music and food vendors. Concurrently with the family events, the ARTB provided interactive displays demonstrating the course’s history and current training methods. These displays, managed by the brigade’s four training battalions (4th, 5th, and 6th Ranger Training Battalions, and 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment), highlighted equipment, training vehicles, waterborne capabilities, and the abilities represented within the ARTB, with 6th RTB also providing demonstrations featuring reptiles. Retired Master Sgt. Max Mullen, a Ranger Hall of Fame inductee, reminded attendees of the course’s rich history, stating simply: “The past is power to the future.”

Col. Stewart C. Lindsay, ARTB commander, tied the anniversary celebration to the course’s forward vision. He noted that while the fundamentals remain unchanged, Ranger training must prepare leaders for an operating environment that is “faster, more complex and more technologically enabled” than anything that has come before. Lindsay detailed modernization efforts, including digitizing student tracking and issuing new night vision devices. He also highlighted a crucial return to foundational Soldier skills: the reintroduction of direct combat training events like combatives (hand-to-hand combat) and the bayonet assault course, both slated for implementation by April 2026. Lindsay stressed that these changes are essential, not cosmetic, as the next fight will demand Rangers who can operate in contested airspace, denied communications, and under constant surveillance. He concluded by affirming the mission’s enduring relevance: “Ranger training matters. It will matter even more in the future. When the next fight comes – and it will – our nation will once again call on Rangers, and Rangers will answer the call as they always have. We’ll lead the way.”

Seventy-five years on, the Ranger Course continues its vital role of transforming volunteers into highly capable leaders, ensuring the Army maintains decisive combat power at the small-unit level—a relevance that remains absolute in the modern, complex battlefield.

By CPT Stephanie Snyder

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Training | 1 Comment »

US Space Force Establishes Combat Forces Command, Welcomes New FLDCOM Commander

Monday, December 1st, 2025

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) —

In a ceremony held at Peterson Space Force Base, Nov. 3, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzmanofficially redesignated Space Operations Command as United States Space Force Combat Forces Command, marking a significant shift in the command’s focus toward enhanced combat readiness and integrated space defense.

Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon assumed command of the newly renamed CFC, succeeding Lt. Gen. David N. Miller, Jr., the SpOC commander.

The redesignation reflects the command’s commitment to aligning with its core purpose of forging combat-ready Space Forces for America and its allies, and with the evolution of the United States Space Force as a warfighting service.

“As we continue to evolve into the warfighting service that the joint force and the nation demands, Combat Forces Command stands ready to generate and present combat-ready units of action, providing combat-credible space solutions to the joint force’s toughest operational problems,” Saltzman said.

The change builds upon the Space Force’s strategic vision for deterring aggression, fighting and winning in the space domain. CFC is responsible for generating and presenting combat-ready intelligence, cyber, space and combat support forces.

During the ceremony, Miller and Chief Master Sgt. Michael Rozneck, CFC senior enlisted leader, furled the former SpOC command flag, symbolizing the inactivation of SpOC and transference of its legacy to CFC. Later in the ceremony, Gagnon and Rozneck unfurled the CFC command flag for the first time.

“Our power is our people. You are our most important weapon system in Combat Forces Command,” said Gagnon in his first address to the Guardians and Airmen of CFC. “You are, in fact, power. Space power.”

CFC will focus on generating and presenting combat-ready units of action, maturing the Space Force generation model, strengthening Mission Deltas, and elevating combat-focused training and qualifications across the force. It will empower leaders at every level and integrate multiple mission sets into cohesive combat squadrons, while treating installations as warfighting platforms.

The command’s vision is for America’s Space Warfighters to be “Always Ready, Always Innovative, Always Above.”

“In this command, we believe in the mission, and we believe in each other,” Miller said. In his parting words, Miller expressed his confidence that Gagnon would take the command to greater heights.

Saltzman and Gagnon both acknowledged the heritage of the organizations that came before CFC. The command has a long history, beginning in its early days as Air Force Space Command and later becoming SpOC in October 2020. CFC comprises approximately 12,000 Guardians, Airmen and civilian personnel across 11 Deltas, 82 squadrons and 25 units of action.

The redesignation comes shortly before the sixth anniversary of the Space Force, which will occur in December 2025.

The ceremony concluded with a pass in review, during which members of CFC’s Deltas marched, demonstrating teamwork and unity.

Gagnon closed his remarks with, “Chapter Two begins like this: although protect and defend is necessary, it is insufficient to win in war. We must protect, defend and attack — Combat Forces Command, let’s roll!”

The mission of CFC is to protect America and its allies in, from, and to space… now and into the future.

By 1st Lt Laura Anderson

U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command Public Affairs

Posted in Forces Focus, Guest Post, Space | No Comments »

Nutrition Research Keeps Warfighters Ready, Lethal in Extreme Cold

Sunday, November 30th, 2025

WASHINGTON — As the race to control the Arctic intensifies, more research is focused on how to optimize service member performance in the extreme cold, where lack of sleep and appetite, altitude and equipment issues can all affect a warfighter’s ability to function.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine’s Military Nutrition Division in Natick, Massachusetts, study physiological stressors that warfighters encounter. By manipulating dietary, exercise and environmental conditions, they’re working to determine the best way to deliver the right nutrition and energy to increase warfighter lethality.

How extreme cold negatively affects warfighters

In extreme cold environments, difficult terrain, bulky clothing, heavy equipment and the body’s own process for regulating internal body temperature can cause service members to expend more energy. Many also don’t get enough nutrition or sleep, said USARIEM research psychologist Harris Lieberman.

“Sleep deprivation is what usually occurs when you’re deployed,” he continued, “and service members don’t eat enough food [in the cold] to keep up with all the work that they do.”

The U.S. military has a cold-weather version of the meals ready to eat, which is dehydrated to keep the rations from freezing. But they need to be rehydrated at mealtime, which can take time — something not all warfighters have. Many just don’t eat during busy time periods. That lack of nutrition can lower the energy levels required to do the mission, explained Lee Margolis, a veteran-turned USARIEM nutrition physiologist.

“Energy expenditures can range anywhere from 5,000-7,000 calories per day [in extreme cold],” Margolis said. “For an average individual, normally you’re going to burn about 2,000-3,000 calories per day.”

High altitudes, where less oxygen is available, can also affect energy expenditure — even in the strongest special operators — and change the body’s ability to metabolize food for fuel.

“It’s critically important that we develop solutions to offset the impacts of altitude,” explained James McClung, chief of USARIEM’s Military Nutrition Division. “Nutrition can be a part of that.”

Other issues, such as equipment freezing up and losing its ability to function, can also affect productivity.

Mimicking Extreme Temps

Researchers visit cold-weather climates, such as Alaska and Norway, to perform studies, but they’re also able to do some at home. USARIEM’s Doriot Climatic Chambers allow experts to test the effects of extreme environments in two massive indoor chambers: one focuses on human-subject testing, while the other is used for equipment testing.

“Every climate you could possibly imagine … we can recreate,” said Facilities Manager Jeff Faulkner.

The chambers’ temperatures can range from 165 to minus 65 degrees, and they can create 40 mph of wind, rain and snow. Each chamber has inclining treadmills that can handle up to five Soldiers at 15 mph on a 12-degree incline. Smaller conditioning rooms have the same capabilities as the chambers, except they can drop to minus 72 degrees.

In one of the smaller conditioning chambers, Lieberman is leading a cold-weather study to analyze the behavior, physiology and performance of stressed, sleep-deprived Soldiers to determine what nutritional needs will increase their performance.

After various pretests and body composition measurements, the volunteers, who are part of the Natick laboratories’ Soldier Volunteer Research Program, spend two days and one night in the room at 16 degrees. While wearing cold-weather-appropriate gear, they undergo various physical activities, such as stationary bike rides and hand strength tests, to measure their reaction time and vigilance.

They take various cognitive performance tests to measure mental acuity, and they eat meals primarily consisting of military rations that dietitians tailor specifically to their needs. They also forgo sleep. “If something unexpected happens, can you effectively respond and correctly deal with it?” questioned Lieberman, referring to the study’s end goal.

Carbs, fat, protein: What’s best for energy balance?

Meanwhile, USARIEM researchers have been working to get a better understanding of the types of macronutrients that will help cold-weather combatants thrive. The goal: to keep warfighters from expending more energy than they’re consuming.

“We’re studying using macronutrients to avoid negative energy balance — the case where we cannot eat enough to maintain physical or cognitive performance — which is associated with poor performance and also an increased risk of injury,” McClung said.

“We’ve seen that there are decreases in lower body power specifically,” Margolis said of the negative energy balance. “Obviously, under a combat scenario, your ability to move very quickly, especially if you’re carrying a heavy kit, may be the difference in survival.”

The research, which has been years in the making, helped to develop a more energy-dense ration known as the close combat assault ration. The CCAR recently replaced the first strike ration for combat troops.

In 2016, in collaboration with the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, known as FFI, USARIEM began studying Soldiers in the field to see how they metabolized prototypes of supplemental snack bars created by the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center’s Combat Feeding Division. One bar was higher in carbohydrates, while the other was higher in protein. The result: the volunteers liked and ate the bars, but they ate fewer of their actual combat rations, leading to energy deficits.

Further lab research in 2022 studied the amount of food Soldiers ate by feeding volunteers a higher-fat prototype product. Fat has more calories per gram than carbs and protein, so a bar with a higher-fat count could provide more energy in a smaller package, Margolis said — something that could help lighten warfighter load during combat operations.

By providing the volunteers with the higher-fat prototype product, researchers wanted to see if their energy intake would increase.

All of the volunteers ended up consuming more calories than in previous studies. However, most of their energy deficits remained at moderate levels, causing no adverse effects, explained Emily Howard, a USARIEM nutritional physiologist who helped carry out the study. The takeaway for researchers: the amount of food a warfighter consumes is the most critical factor in preserving their performance, not so much the composition of that food.

However, since Soldiers don’t typically eat a lot in cold-weather conditions, the research into how to optimize macronutrients in rations continues.

Evolving tactics

One upcoming study will monitor how warfighters on cold-weather ruck marches perform when eating two newer prototype ration bars: one that’s higher in fat and more energy-dense, and another that’s less energy-dense and higher in carbs. During the study, researchers plan to measure each volunteer’s oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

“We’re able to actually calculate if their body is using primarily carbohydrate, primarily fat, or a mix while they’re doing exercise,” Margolis said.

The study will also look at glucose and insulin level changes, as well as hormone responses, to see how well that fuel sustains them on long marches and during moments when they might need to pick up the tempo.

Margolis’ team also plans to do some observational studies during the annual exercise Arctic Edge in Alaska in 2026 to see how service members are using the cold-weather MRE and its supplements.

Once the studies are concluded, USARIEM’s findings are shared with the Combat Feeding Division as recommendations for adjusting current rations or developing new ones.

By Katie Lange, Pentagon News

Posted in Army, Field Gourmet, Guest Post, Sustainment | No Comments »

2026 Special Air Warfare Symposium Registration Now Open

Saturday, November 29th, 2025

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Registration is now open to attend the Special Air Warfare Symposium taking place at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Feb. 10-12, 2026. SAWS is an annual, global SOF Aviation gathering that brings together leaders, innovators, and industry experts to ensure the readiness of our SOF warfighters.

Now in its fourth year, the 2026 Special Air Warfare Symposium will focus on the theme: “Adapting Special Air Warfare for an Evolving World.” This year’s theme highlights the need to advance the operational effectiveness and strategic relevance of Special Air Warfare in response to rapidly changing global challenges.

SAWS is co-hosted by Air Force Special Operations and Global SOF Foundation and features three days of briefings, exhibits, and networking. To see highlights of the 2026 programming click here.

Registration is free to active duty and government employees. Click here to register for this opportunity to engage with and learn from the aviation-focused Special Operations community.

-AFSOC PAO

Posted in Aviation, GSOF, Guest Post, SOF | No Comments »

PEO IEW&S Drives Rapid Prototyping

Saturday, November 29th, 2025

The Army’s ability to adapt and innovate in real time is critical to mission success on the modern battlefield. That’s the driving force behind Transforming in Contact (TiC), an Army-wide initiative focused on delivering cutting-edge technology to units for immediate use, rapid experimentation and iterative improvement. Unlike long-term modernization strategies that can take years, TiC is designed for speed and flexibility. It puts emerging capabilities directly into the hands of Soldiers, allowing them to test new equipment, provide feedback from the field and help shape future Army solutions. TiC is about more than just equipment, it’s about creating an agile, data-driven and Soldier-informed approach to modernization.

“The American Soldier is innovative. They are smart. They are hungry for a change,” said Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll during a Fox News interview on May 1, 2025. This sentiment reflects the underlying philosophy of TiC. Soldiers must be empowered with technology and organizational flexibility to adapt on the fly. That’s why the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S) is focused not just on building systems but delivering them in a way that supports experimentation and rapid improvement.

FROM TIC 1.0 TO 2.0

TiC began with six initial units under what has since become known as “TiC 1.0.” These included elements from the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, 1st Cavalry Division and others selected for their operational diversity and readiness. These efforts laid the foundation for the next phase of the program by identifying capability gaps, refining training requirements and informing changes in unit structure and concept of operations, or CONOPS.

One key lesson learned was the need for flexibility in how systems are configured and deployed based on mission type and terrain. Units provided direct feedback that led to redesigns, simplified interfaces and more modular capabilities—changes that directly shaped TiC 2.0.

“We’re not saying, ‘TiC 1.0 is done, now onto TiC 2.0,’ ” explained Maj. James Duffy, TiC lead at PEO IEW&S. “It’s a natural evolution. We’re expanding the types of units we engage with—aviation, fires, intelligence battalions, special forces, multidomain task forces—and we’re adding granularity to how and where capabilities are delivered.”

In TiC 2.0, the Army is pushing even further. It’s not just about issuing new equipment; it’s also about evaluating how formations are structured. This fall, the Army will test new force design concepts at Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable. This will include experimentation with smaller, more mobile command posts that are easier to relocate and harder to target.

TiC’s unit diversity allows the Army to gather data across different environments, which in turn drives design decisions. For example, requirements in the Pacific marked by dispersed terrain and long-range operations differ from those in Europe, where maneuver and electromagnetic warfare challenges dominate. These operational realities influence form factors, network resilience and sustainment strategies. The goal is to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach and instead tailor capabilities to the mission.

DRIVING TIC FORWARD

Building on its foundational role, PEO IEW&S continues to support TiC by rapidly fielding and refining capabilities through a Soldier-centered lens.

Current PEO IEW&S systems supporting TiC units include:

Terrestrial Layer System (TLS) Manpack – A portable system for electromagnetic warfare and signals intelligence.
Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) System (MAPS) – A vehicle-mounted system that integrates multiple sensors and anti-jam capabilities to provide Soldiers with trusted PNT data in GPS-contested environments.
Dismounted Assured PNT System (DAPS) – A system that enables dismounted Soldiers to shoot, move and communicate when GPS is denied or degraded.
Spectrum Situational Awareness System (S2AS) – A software-defined capability that provides Soldiers with real-time visibility of the electromagnetic environment to support decision making and mitigate spectrum threats.
Micro High Altitude Balloons (mHABS) – Cost effective, deep sensing aerial platforms that can remain aloft for one to three days, part of a directed requirement fulfilled under TiC.

The capabilities are being deployed selectively to prototyping units. Not every Soldier or formation receives the same gear. Instead, the Army is tailoring delivery, collecting detailed user assessments and rapidly improving systems based on feedback.

As Duffy described, “Gone are the days where every Soldier gets the same equipment regardless of formation. We’re doing targeted fielding, getting feedback on a small scale and iterating quickly.”

RAPID FEEDBACK, REAL RESULTS

At the heart of TiC is the speed at which Soldier feedback influences development.

“At Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) we had experts onsite, helping a unit reconfigure their setup in real time,” said Duffy. “That kind of optimization doesn’t require an engineering overhaul—it’s something we can fix on the ground. But even when there is an engineering challenge, we’re documenting it, working with vendors and cycling it back into the next release. The whole point of TiC is innovation at the speed of relevance.”

User representatives and intelligence assessments teams are embedded with certain units, generating daily situation reports that go up the chain of command, all the way to the Army deputy chief of staff for intelligence (G-2), Lt. Gen. Anthony Hale. This feedback informs daily development and real-time fixes.

“We’re giving them equipment we know isn’t perfect, because if we wait for perfect, it’s too late,” Duffy said. “This is about progression over perfection. Get it in their hands, hear what works and what doesn’t and come back with something better.”

CONCLUSION

TiC isn’t just a modernization initiative—it’s a mindset shift.

“It would be a failure on our part if the first set of systems we deliver are exactly like the last ones we deliver,” said Brig. Gen. Ed Barker, the program executive officer for PEO IEW&S. “If we’re not learning from user events and rolling that feedback into future iterations, we’re not doing our job.”

Army leadership has made it clear: Modernization must happen faster and be guided by those closest to the mission. “The battlefield is changing as fast as the technology in your pocket, and we know we have to change,” said Gen. Randy George, Army chief of staff, during a recent Council on Foreign Relations panel held on May 19, 2025, in Washington.

As TiC continues to grow in scope and scale, PEO IEW&S remains committed to delivering capabilities that not only enhance mission success today, but shape a more agile, responsive Army for tomorrow.

For more information about PEO IEW&S and their products, go to peoiews.army.mil.

KAY EDWARDS is a public affairs specialist contractor for PEO IEW&S. She holds a B.A. in English composition from Florida State University.

Posted in Army, EW, Guest Post | 1 Comment »

Taking Flight: Pennsylvania Guard Expands Drone Usage

Saturday, November 29th, 2025

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – In a small aircraft hangar on the east end of the post, a makeshift obstacle course has been built primarily from leftover construction material such as wood and PVC pipes.

This isn’t an obstacle course for Soldiers to test their fitness or agility. It’s for operators of unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones.

As seen in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world, drones are becoming more prevalent on the modern battlefield. Where once troops and manned vehicles reigned supreme, unmanned systems now perform numerous missions, including direct attacks, surveillance and target acquisition.

The Pennsylvania National Guard has been using drones for more than a decade, primarily for surveillance and reconnaissance. As tactics have changed in places such as Ukraine, Pennsylvania has strived to keep pace. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathan Shea, operations officer with the Unmanned Aircraft Systems facility, said he believes unmanned systems will play an even larger role in future warfare.

“Unmanned systems as a whole – whether that be unmanned aircraft, ground, naval, all of the above – are going to be a massive player in shaping future fights and how we fight,” Shea said. “The more we can remove humans from the front lines and direct combat, I think the more you’re going to see that.”

High-stakes training

The UAS facility at Fort Indiantown Gap dates to 2007 and originally housed the RQ-7 Shadow UAS, which the 28th Infantry Division used until January 2024, when the Army stopped using Shadows.

The Shadow was a fixed-wing UAS with a 20-foot wingspan that was designed for surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition, said Shea, who is a member of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, or SBCT.

Since the Army has not yet fielded a replacement system for the Shadow, the UAS facility is in a transitional phase. Shea and the other Soldiers who work there are experimenting with different kinds of drones, including first-person-view, or FPV, drones.

The obstacle course, built inside a former Shadow hangar, allows FPV drone operators to practice flying.

“It’s a great indoor, all-weather space that we get to utilize, and it focuses on building out tactics,” Shea said. “Every obstacle, as random as they may seem placed, has a very specific purpose. It’s meant to build accuracy for the pilots.”

Earlier this year, Shea returned from a deployment with the 56th SBCT to Germany, where the brigade assumed responsibility of Joint Multinational Training Group – Ukraine, which trains Ukrainian soldiers. His role was to oversee all UAS operations and the UAS training programs for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“We trained these operators from nothing to full-blown drone operators ready to go to war in about 45 days’ time,” Shea said. “It was a very high-stress program. The stakes were very high, and there was very little room for error on either party’s part.”

Shea said he built an obstacle course in Germany similar to the one at the UAS facility to train Ukrainian soldiers, and he plans to build an outdoor training course eventually.

Like other Army units – both active duty and National Guard – Pennsylvania is waiting for funding to build out its UAS capabilities, Shea said. He knows which systems he would like and which are needed to support the different missions.

“There’s no 100 percent answer on a system right now,” Shea said. “What works for the cav [cavalry] is not going to work for the engineers, probably. The advantage is we already tested a lot of these systems, so we know what systems we need, we know what modifications we need to make to those systems to make them fit more warfighting functions.”

‘UAS is the future’

At the 166th Regiment – Regional Training Institute, a U.S. Army schoolhouse on Fort Indiantown Gap that offers numerous courses, instructors are teaching students in several military occupational specialties about drones.

On a recent day, Soldiers from across the Army attending the infantry Advanced Leader Course, or ALC, received a drone familiarization class.

The class was split: half of the Soldiers conducted dismounted infantry operations and infantry tactics, while the other half discussed drone use and what’s happening on the front lines now. While half of the class had those discussions, an instructor used a small quadcopter drone to observe the other half of the class in the nearby woods.

“If we look at the operational environment and the battlefields around the world right now, UAS is the future, and we have to address that fight,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Thompson, course manager for the infantry ALC at the 166th Regiment. “These guys are going to be the ones on the front lines, whatever the next major engagement is, so we want them to be able to see drones and experience them for the first time here in a controlled environment, not on the front lines.

“It’s very, very important for them to be able to start encompassing that in the way that they train, the way that they operate,” Thompson added.

Thompson said the 166th Regiment is implementing drones on different fronts. In addition to the familiarization classes, the 1st Battalion also runs the Small Unmanned Aerial System Operator Course, in which students learn drone basics.

The 166th has been using UAS for several years, and the training is constantly evolving as new technologies and new tactics emerge, Thompson said.

“We have a fantastic staff who are all very dedicated to maintaining the most current up-to-date stuff coming off the battlefield right now, whether that be in the European theater or around the world, or down at the border in the United States, how drones are being implemented by friendly and by enemy assets,” Thompson said. “When we get that stuff, we pretty much have a working group as a staff, discuss the positives and negatives, and then we implement it to the students.”

Thompson said UAS familiarization is very important because it gives Soldiers a foundational knowledge base to operate drones efficiently.

“We want them to be able have that foundational knowledge in a training environment so that when they actually go to do it in real world, they are 10 times more proficient because they have that foundational base,” Thompson said.

Drones in the field

Across the Pennsylvania National Guard, Soldiers have increased their use of drones during training throughout the past year.

In August, Soldiers with 1-109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team – along with Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 107th Field Artillery Regiment and representatives of Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute – used drones and artificial intelligence to make the process of requesting artillery fire less stressful for Soldiers on the battlefield.

The exercise, part of Project Shrike, used a software package developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute in partnership with the U.S. Army Artificial Intelligence Integration Center. This artificial intelligence-enabled system enables artillery units to detect, target and engage threats faster and with greater precision. The project reduces the complex task of calling for fire to mere seconds.

“The system highlights targets and recommends firing solutions for operator decision,” said Chad Hershberger, a software engineer with Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute. “The human is in the decision loop in order to accept or reject the system’s recommendation.”

In a similar exercise in November 2024, instructors from the 166th Regiment’s 1st Battalion used quadcopter drones to gather target information and send it to students taking the artillery Advanced Leader Course under the guidance of instructors from the 2nd Battalion. The students then engaged the targets with howitzers.

They also used drones to observe the fall of the artillery rounds, make required adjustments and conduct battle-damage assessments.

“We’ve been seeing it through open-source intelligence, obviously in the conflict that’s going on in Ukraine, that they’ve been doing a lot of these things, so we’re adjusting with the times, and we’re developing procedures and efficiencies in order to conduct these tasks,” said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Hutnik, quality assurance noncommissioned officer for the 1st Battalion who was piloting a drone during the exercise.

Whether on an obstacle course, in a classroom or in a field training environment, the Pennsylvania National Guard is attempting to stay at the forefront of drone tactics and technology as drone usage continually increases on the battlefield.

By Brad Rhen

Posted in Army, Drone, Guest Post | No Comments »