Lawmakers press Army to explain order halting drone unit's specialization

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressing the Army to explain why it ordered the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s specialized Unmanned Assault Battalion in Europe to stop focusing on drone warfare, less than a year after its creation to study Ukrainian-style drone tactics. They warn that scrapping the unit could hinder learning from allies and slow the modernization of U.S. drone warfare amid rapidly evolving battlefields. The lawmakers have requested a briefing to reveal the data, analysis, and whether the decision came from Pentagon leadership or internal Army guidance. The Army has directed the battalion to refocus on its core airborne infantry mission, a shift described as part of a broader back-to-basics approach by top leadership. The legislation highlights concerns about losing a key capability as unmanned systems become central to modern warfare, with reports noting the soldiers were prepared to deploy and had been modeling tactics used by Ukraine and Iran against the U.S.