Brigade of about 600 soldiers was building its own drones
The 173rd Airborne Brigade, with about 600 soldiers, was set up in November to be deployed anywhere that drones were needed. The brigade was building its own uncrewed systems. A bipartisan group of lawmakers raised concerns about the order ending the brigade’s drone specialization in a letter shared with The Associated Press.
“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,” the lawmakers wrote. The letter pointed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a particular source of allied expertise in drone warfare.
The order halting the 173rd’s drone focus comes as modern battlefields increasingly rely on uncrewed systems and as drone warfare has killed and wounded American troops.