https://sputnikglobe.com/20240527/pentagon-seeks-to-establish-army-drone-corps-as-us-lags-behind-russia-and-china-1118653632.html
Pentagon Seeks to Establish Army Drone Corps as US Lags Behind Russia and China
Pentagon Seeks to Establish Army Drone Corps as US Lags Behind Russia and China
Sputnik International
Russia’s special military operation has revealed a brand new method of waging war. Drone combat has proven to be among the most impactful and cost-efficient on the battlefield, pulverizing expensive military equipment with a few high-precision strikes.
2024-05-27T17:07+0000
2024-05-27T17:07+0000
2024-05-27T17:07+0000
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The US House of Representatives has proposed creating a new drone branch of its army. The initiative was part of a fiscal 2025 defense authorization bill prepared by the House Armed Services Committee. The effort aims to professionalize the area and put it in line with other disciplines of military service.No More ‘Fog of War’Russia's special op has largely changed the approach to fighting between modern armies. High maneuver warfare, whose tactics and strategy were shaped during WWII, gave way to a positional trench standoff with the massive use of artillery more akin to that seen in WWI. Opponents no longer advances with divisions and corps, but operate in small groups.The main reason behind the change is the massive use of inexpensive commercial drones on both sides, which completely negates the very notion of the "fog of war". Because of the reconnaissance "birdies" constantly hanging in the air, it is near impossible to secretly maneuver large forces at the front line and in the close rear.Both Russia and Ukraine have formed reconnaissance and firing circuits that allow for high-precision attacks on the enemy shortly after detection.On the other hand, loitering munitions, copters carrying "loads" and first-person view (FPV) drones with handmade warheads are used very actively and have long turned from something exotic into something totally expendable.Drones have seriously changed the tactics of using military equipment, in particular the main strike force of the ground forces – tanks. An experienced operator of a cheap FPV drone is able to easily smash a vehicle worth millions of dollars into a thin turret or engine room and knock out the armored giant.A New Military BranchUS officials, who study the special op under a microscope, have come to the conclusion that they are lagging seriously behind the latest military “fashion trends” and are risk of finding themselves in the position of the ones who have to play catch up. Washington has learned that in a major and protracted armed conflict, a piece of equipment being mass-produced is far more important than its technological sophistication. The new branch of the army looks to correct this imbalance.According to the Congress bill, a drone corps should oversee the development, deployment and combat use of small aircraft, as well as systems to combat drones of a potential enemy. The initiative seeks to organize mass training of small drone operators, both aerial and copters, including FPVs. The drone corps, allocated to a separate branch, will become the 22nd in the US Army, along with the army aviation, air defense, mechanized infantry, tank, and artillery troops.The shift in military tactics, as seen in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, demonstrates the increasing importance of drones on the battlefield, which should prompt the US to adopt a new strategy that fully leverages their capabilities, Robert Solano, commander of the Defense Contract Management Agency at Boeing underlined.Furthermore, he believes that the US military should establish a separate service drone branch, focusing on the Army, Air Force and Navy due to the increasing use of drones in warfare.Pentagon's PushbackAt the Pentagon, however, not everyone is in favor of the idea. US Deputy Commander Gabe Camarillo said that he understands the legislators' interest in the development of unmanned systems due to their mass use in Ukraine and the Middle East. Nevertheless, in his opinion, the creation of a separate kind of troops is not a proper approach, at least for the moment.So far, it is not the drones themselves that are the priority for the US Armed Forces, it is the defense equipment to counter them.According to Camarillo, since 2017, the US Army has spent $1.8 billion on developing electronic warfare systems, small air defenses, and additional refurbishing for armored equipment. When considering the 2026 fiscal budget, even more funds will be allocated for these needs.On the whole, drone development in China is likewise an issue of concern for the Pentagon. Chinese-made Mavic drones have been used by both sides of the Ukrainian conflict for more than two years now. This fact indicates that the rate and scale of their production are very high.Indeed, it is unlikely that the US and Chinese ground forces will engage in a direct armed conflict and will end up at an FPV drone flying distance in the foreseeable future.That said, in case of escalation, Beijing could resort to asymmetric measures. For example, China could liberally ship military drones to the US’ adversaries around the world. And there are quite a few such adversaries, from North Korea to the Middle East.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/ukraine-crisis-highlights-chasm-between-russian-us-electronic-warfare-capabilities-general-admits-1118424707.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240507/us-bid-to-strategically-weaken-russia-backfired-creating-army-adapted-for-postindustrial-warfare-1118318719.html
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military drones, combat drones, drones in the army, us army drones, drone us army corps, drones in the us army, drone military branch, drones on the battlefield, drones in the ukraine crisis, new russian military drones, us develops new drones
military drones, combat drones, drones in the army, us army drones, drone us army corps, drones in the us army, drone military branch, drones on the battlefield, drones in the ukraine crisis, new russian military drones, us develops new drones
Pentagon Seeks to Establish Army Drone Corps as US Lags Behind Russia and China
Russia’s special military operation has revealed a brand new method of waging war. Drone combat has proven to be among the most impactful and cost-efficient on the battlefield, pulverizing expensive military equipment with a few high-precision strikes.
The US House of Representatives has proposed creating a new drone branch of its army. The initiative was part of a fiscal 2025 defense authorization bill prepared by the House Armed Services Committee. The effort aims to professionalize the area and put it in line with other disciplines of military service.
Russia's special op has largely changed the approach to fighting between modern armies. High maneuver warfare, whose tactics and strategy were shaped during WWII, gave way to a positional trench standoff with the massive use of artillery more akin to that seen in WWI. Opponents no longer advances with divisions and corps, but operate in small groups.
The main reason behind the change is the massive use of inexpensive commercial drones on both sides, which completely negates the very notion of the "fog of war". Because of the reconnaissance "birdies" constantly hanging in the air, it is near impossible to secretly maneuver large forces at the front line and in the close rear.
Both Russia and Ukraine have formed reconnaissance and firing circuits that allow for high-precision
attacks on the enemy shortly after detection.
On the other hand, loitering munitions, copters carrying "
loads" and
first-person view (FPV) drones with handmade warheads are used very actively and have long turned from something exotic into something totally expendable.
Drones have seriously changed the tactics of using military equipment, in particular the main strike force of the ground forces – tanks. An experienced operator of a cheap
FPV drone is able to easily smash a vehicle worth millions of dollars into a thin turret or engine room and knock out the armored giant.
US officials, who study the special op under a microscope, have come to the conclusion that they
are lagging seriously behind the latest military “
fashion trends” and are risk of finding themselves in the position of the ones who have to play catch up. Washington has learned that in a major and protracted armed conflict, a piece of equipment being mass-produced is far more important than its technological sophistication. The new branch of the army looks to correct this imbalance.
According to the Congress bill, a drone corps should oversee the development, deployment and combat use of small aircraft, as well as systems to combat drones of a potential enemy. The initiative seeks to organize mass training of small drone operators, both aerial and copters, including FPVs. The drone corps, allocated to a separate branch, will become the 22nd in the US Army, along with the army aviation, air defense, mechanized infantry, tank, and artillery troops.
The shift in military tactics, as seen in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, demonstrates the increasing importance of drones on the battlefield, which should prompt the US to adopt a new strategy that fully leverages their capabilities, Robert Solano, commander of the Defense Contract Management Agency at Boeing underlined.
Furthermore, he believes that the US military should establish a separate service drone branch, focusing on the Army, Air Force and Navy due to the increasing use of drones in warfare.
At the Pentagon, however, not everyone is in favor of the idea.
US Deputy Commander Gabe Camarillo said that he understands the legislators'
interest in the development of unmanned systems due to their mass use in Ukraine and the Middle East. Nevertheless, in his opinion, the creation of a separate kind of troops is not a proper approach, at least for the moment.
So far, it is not the drones themselves that are the priority for the US Armed Forces, it is the defense equipment to counter them.
According to Camarillo, since 2017, the US Army has spent $1.8 billion on developing
electronic warfare systems, small air defenses, and additional refurbishing for armored equipment. When considering the 2026 fiscal budget, even more funds will be allocated for these needs.
On the whole, drone development in China is likewise an issue of concern for the Pentagon. Chinese-made Mavic drones have been used by both sides of the Ukrainian conflict for more than two years now. This fact indicates that the rate and scale of their production are very high.
Indeed, it is unlikely that the US and Chinese ground forces will engage in a direct armed conflict and will end up at an FPV drone flying distance in the foreseeable future.
That said, in case of escalation, Beijing could
resort to asymmetric measures. For example, China could liberally ship military drones to the US’ adversaries around the world. And there are quite a few such adversaries, from North Korea to the Middle East.
