Inspired by Ukraine, US Army picks two commercially available drones
The drones, including one type that can drop bombs, are bound for company-level units.
Sam Skove | September 12, 2024
The U.S. Army has chosen Anduril’s Ghost X and Performance Drone Works’ C-100 to provide reconnaissance and other capabilities to company-level units, the service announced Wednesday.
The effort to field small drones to companies is a “priority,” Army Futures Command chief Gen. James Rainey said in a press release, adding that the push was “based on observations from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.”
Ukraine and Russia heavily use drones to coordinate artillery fire, scout enemy positions, and drop munitions.
The first tranche of the purchase will be worth $14.5 million under a ten-year contract. The Army, which set out its requirements in June 2023, said it sought drones that could be quickly reconfigured, field a variety of payloads, and cost so little that losing them would not constitute a major burden.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2024/09/inspired-ukraine-army-selects-two-commercially-available-drones-units/399481/?oref=d1-homepage-river
