US Congress demands explanation for shutting down army drone-warfare unit

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is demanding an urgent explanation from army leadership over the decision to shut down a specialized drone unit stationed in Europe that had been learning combat lessons directly from Ukraine's Armed Forces. The Associated Press first reported the story.

The unit in question is the Unmanned Assault Battalion, part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, comprising roughly 600 soldiers. The battalion built its own drones and developed tactics of the kind Ukraine was first to deploy at scale in its war against Russia.

Lawmakers sent an official letter to acting Army Chief of Staff General Christopher LaNeve and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, demanding an urgent briefing. The letter states deep concern that dismantling the specialized unit will limit the ability of the US to learn from allies, including Ukraine's armed forces, and will hamper efforts to modernize drone warfare at the pace needed to stay competitive on the modern battlefield.

The letter was signed by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Republican Senator Thom Tillis, independent Senator Angus King, and Republican Representative Mike Turner. The lawmakers stressed that the unit's creation had been a timely response to the demands of modern warfare, since conventional units cannot adapt quickly enough to new technologies.

Background

In April, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, who had regularly stressed the need to accelerate development of new drone systems and equip not just specialized units but regular soldiers as well. General Christopher LaNeve then took over the army's leadership duties.

In August, LaNeve ordered the experimental drone battalion's activities wound down and the unit returned to standard airborne infantry duties. Shortly afterward, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who had also backed accelerated adoption of innovation, resigned from his post.