Drone corps proposal would disrupt US Army plans, says undersecretary
By Courtney Albon
May 17, 2024, 03:58 PM
Drones prepare to take flight as part of a human-machine integration experiment during the exercise Project Convergence at Fort Irwin, Calif., on March 11, 2024. (Sgt. Gianna Chiavarone/U.S. Army)
A House committee’s proposal to create a drone corps within the Army may run counter to the service’s push to expand tactics, training and spending for unmanned aerial systems across some operational units, according to an Army official.
The House Armed Services Committee’s draft fiscal 2025 defense policy bill includes a provision directing the Army to establish a drone corps — essentially a branch to oversee all UAS and counter-drone programs. The branch would be responsible for integrating these systems across the Army; providing specialized training for units; and leading research, development test and evaluation efforts.
Under the provision, the drone corps would join the Army’s 17 specialty branches, which focus on areas like aviation, cyberspace, infantry and ordnance.
Gabe Camarillo, the undersecretary of the Army, said May 17 he understands lawmakers’ interest in honing the services’ focus on uncrewed systems due to their proliferation in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. However, he added, creating a dedicated branch for this work is not the right approach — at least for now.
https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/uas/2024/05/17/drone-corps-proposal-would-disrupt-us-army-plans-says-undersecretary/
