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Adapting the Combat Training Centers for the Drone Battlefield
by Bill Edwards, by Greg Hoyt
“It felt like you were being hunted versus hunting,” said Col. Scott Wence…I didn’t have any experience talking through how you defeat this,” (CSM) Donaldson said. “None of us did.”
Is the U.S. Army paying attention to the lessons learned in conflict zones around the world? sUAS (small unmanned aerial systems, i.e., drones) have transformed modern warfare, and it is time our training reflects that reality. The Combat Training Centers (CTCs) are uniquely positioned and should lead this evolution by integrating drones into base defense (defense) and call-for-fire / indirect fire training (offense) as a core skill for every leader and soldier in a direct combat specialty and across the entire force.
This technology has been proven, the benefits are clear, and our adversaries are already operating this way. Incorporating drones at the CTCs is not about catching up; it is about staying ahead and ensuring our soldiers are fully prepared for the modern battlefield. To be fair, there is a significant amount of effort taking place in this space, but are we truly leaning into it?
Training at the CTCs focuses heavily on staff processes, but the modern-day battlefield is more dynamic. Our troops will fight in drone-saturated environments like Ukraine, Gaza, or the Pacific; they must train to confront these threats. While CTCs have made strides in threat replication and limited C-UAS exposure, they still fall short of making drones a core element of tactical training.
https://smallwarsjournal.com/2026/01/08/adapting-the-combat-training-centers-for-the-drone-battlefield/
