Lawmakers ask Army to explain why it told a military unit to stop specializing in drone warfare
- A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is pressing the Army to explain its decision to order the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Europe to cease specializing in drone warfare.
- The 173rd Airborne Brigade, consisting of 600 soldiers, was established in November to develop its own drones and practice drone warfare tactics similar to those pioneered by Ukraine against Russia.
- Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army's acting chief of staff, recently ordered the battalion to refocus on its core airborne infantry mission rather than drone specialization.
- The lawmakers, including Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, independent Sen. Angus King, and Republican Rep. Mike Turner, expressed concern that eliminating the specialized unit will hinder modernization efforts and learning from allied forces.
- The decision follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's removal of the prior Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George in April, who had prioritized drone integration into Army tactics through the Army Transformation Initiative.
- Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who supported drone modernization efforts, recently submitted his resignation, with tensions between him and Hegseth widely reported.
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has called on the Army to justify its recent decision ordering the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Europe, to cease its specialized focus on drone warfare. The brigade, comprising 600 soldiers and established in November, had been developing its own unmanned systems and practicing drone tactics similar to those employed by Ukraine against Russia and Iran against the U.S. The lawmakers expressed concern that this decision undermines efforts to modernize military capabilities and learn from allied forces operating at the forefront of drone warfare.
The order to refocus on core airborne infantry duties was issued by Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army's acting chief of staff, following the April removal of his predecessor Gen. Randy George by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. George had championed drone integration as a central component of the Army Transformation Initiative, working alongside Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to accelerate development and deployment of unmanned systems across regular formations rather than specialized units.
The lawmakers—Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, independent Sen. Angus King, and Republican Rep. Mike Turner—requested a briefing explaining the decision's rationale, data, and analysis, particularly given the unit's brief operational history. They sought clarification on whether the decision originated from Pentagon leadership or was made independently by the Army. The timing is notable as Driscoll, a supporter of drone modernization efforts, recently submitted his resignation amid reported tensions with Hegseth, raising questions about continuity in the Army's strategic direction.
议员要求陆军解释为何命令军事单位停止无人机战争专业化
美国跨党派议员团体要求陆军为其近期命令驻欧洲第173空降旅停止无人机战争专业化的决定进行辩护。该旅由600名士兵组成，于11月成立，一直在开发自有无人机系统并实践乌克兰对俄罗斯以及伊朗对美国采用的无人机战术。议员们表示担忧，认为这一决定削弱了现代化军事能力和向在无人机战争前沿作战的盟国学习的努力。
重新专注于核心空降步兵任务的命令由陆军代理参谋长克里斯托弗·拉内夫将军发布，此前国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯在4月撤换了他的前任兰迪·乔治将军。乔治曾倡导将无人机整合作为陆军转型倡议的核心内容，与陆军部长丹·德里斯科尔合作加快无人机系统在常规部队中的开发和部署，而非仅限于专业化单位。
议员们——民主党参议员珍妮·沙欣、共和党参议员托姆·蒂利斯、独立参议员安格斯·金和共和党众议员迈克·特纳——要求获得简报，解释该决定的理由、数据和分析过程，特别是考虑到该单位的短暂运作历史。他们寻求澄清该决定是否源自五角大楼领导层指导或由陆军独立做出。时机值得注意，因为支持无人机现代化努力的德里斯科尔最近提交了辞呈，且他与赫格塞斯之间的紧张关系已被广泛报道，这引发了对陆军战略方向连贯性的疑问。