FORT BENNING, Ga. — As small unmanned aircraft systems, sUAS, become a defining feature of the modern battlefield, the Maneuver Center of Excellence is ensuring every new Soldier has a high-tech edge.

One-Station Unit Training trainees are now undergoing a 10-hour sUAS familiarization course integrated into their formal program of instruction. Using Virtual Battle Space 4 software and the Virtual Drone Collective Trainer plug-in, Infantry and Armor trainees master flight mechanics before stepping onto a live flight line.

The 12-lane curriculum, modeled after the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Ranger Robotics Lethality Course, is designed to take a Soldier from basic “buttonology” — learning the controller interface — to advanced tactical reconnaissance and lethal kinetic strikes.

“The Army has always used simulation-based training to reduce noise, training costs, and wear and tear on equipment and resources,” said Jayson D. Karch, a training specialist with the Maneuver Center of Excellence Directorate of Training and Doctrine. “This enables Soldiers from across the Army to receive immersive, life-like, low-cost training on equipment they have minimal experience operating, without risk of damage to equipment, personnel, or resources.”

The move toward simulation-based training addresses the logistical challenge of training thousands of Soldiers annually. By using the Virtual Drone Collective Trainer software plug-in, developed by the Combined Arms Center-Training Innovation Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the Army can provide immersive training at scale.

“While live flight is an important and vital portion of certifying an sUAS operator, new operators use simulations to build basic skills without all the resources required for live flight,” said Rory O’Brien, an MCoE simulation specialist. “Given the number of Soldiers trained in Infantry and Armor OSUT, there aren’t enough resources to allow every Soldier to fly a live sUAS, so virtual simulations allow us to train the skills at scale using less resources.”

The training is divided into three distinct phases: flight training, basic tactical training and a culminating assessment. During the tactical phase, trainees use night vision, thermal, and infrared cameras to identify enemy personnel and vehicles before conducting simulated drone strikes.

The Army’s goal is not to turn every Soldier into a certified pilot, but to ensure every Soldier is familiar with a combat enabler they will encounter in future formations. The simulation also serves as a talent-scouting tool; trainees who demonstrate above-average proficiency are considered for the formal sUAS Operators Course following graduation.

The MCoE plans to publish these training lanes on the milGaming website, allowing units across the force to download and utilize the same scenarios for home-station training.

The integration of sUAS training into OSUT represents a fundamental shift in how the Army prepares for the modern, transparent battlefield. By prioritizing digital literacy and technological proficiency from day one, the MCoE is ensuring that the next generation of Infantry and Armor Soldiers is not just keeping pace with change but driving it. As these Soldiers transition to the operational force, they provide a ready, lethal, and tech-capable backbone for the multidomain formations of tomorrow.

View more photos of the virtual sUAS training.

By CPT Stephanie Snyder

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center, or NADWC, was designated by the U.S. Department of War as a National Range for Deep Uncrewed Aerial Systems, or UAS, Training.

“Today’s designation of the NADWC as a national test site shows that Michigan can lead the future of aerospace and continues to play a key role in protecting our national defense,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Over the last few years, we held an autonomous drone competition, released a statewide Advanced Air Mobility Initiative and secured a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Now, thanks to this new national test site, we are building on that momentum, becoming an even more attractive place for cutting-edge defense and aerospace companies to invest in, create good-paying, high-skill local jobs and grow our economy. You can already see Michigan-made products on roads around the world, and soon, we’ll be in the sky too.”

This designation cements the NADWC as the nation’s premier proving ground for advanced UAS and Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems, or C-UAS, positioning Michigan at the forefront of America’s defense innovation economy. Selected by the U.S. Army and National Guard Bureau, NADWC offers an unmatched environment for drone development and testing and training, one that is squarely focused on the warfighter and on doing what is best for the force. By combining permissive operating authorities, cutting-edge infrastructure and close ties to Michigan’s world-class technology and manufacturing ecosystem, this designation amplifies our ability to train at speed and scale.

Anchored by nearly 200,000 acres of maneuver space at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and more than 17,000 square miles of special-use military airspace at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, NADWC delivers a level of scale and realism few training environments can match. These Joint National Training Capability–certified sites feature diverse terrain, robust electromagnetic spectrum access and a true four-season climate, allowing units to stress systems, tactics and formations in conditions that replicate multiple theaters of operation and prepare forces for the next fight.

As the largest joint training range east of the Mississippi River and home to the flagship Northern Strike Exercise, NADWC is purpose-built to enhance readiness. Its all-weather, all-domain environment enables warfighters and our allied partners to train together at full operational tempo, integrating uncrewed systems into live-fire, combined arms and advanced swarm operations. The result is a more lethal, more prepared force, better equipped to succeed on the future battlefield.

“This designation is about staying focused on the warfighter and doing what’s best for the force,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “The NADWC gives us the scale, airspace and all-domain environment we need to amplify our ability to train and prepare for the next fight. It allows our Soldiers, Airmen, joint partners and allies, to develop, test and employ uncrewed systems at operational tempo under realistic, all-weather conditions. That kind of training directly translates to readiness and ensures our forces are positioned to succeed on the future battlefield. I want to thank Governor Whitmer and Michigan’s congressional delegation for their steadfast support in making this effort possible, which will ensure the men and women of the U.S. military and our allies will be prepared for any future conflict.”

By Michael Kroll, Michigan National Guard