A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is demanding that the Army explain why it directed a unit based in Europe to stop specializing in drone warfare, an order coming at a time when global battlefields are rapidly evolving and military tactics rely increasingly on uncrewed systems.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade was constructing its own uncrewed aerial platforms and practicing the exact style of combat that Ukraine pioneered against Russia and Iran has used against the U.S. — tactics that have killed and injured American service members. The brigade of 600 soldiers was formed in November to deploy wherever drone capabilities were needed.
