Florida National Guard Advances Battlefield Capabilities During Drone Crucible

Oct. 7, 2026 | By Air Force Capt. Brittianie Funderburk, Florida National Guard Public Affairs |

The future of military operations increasingly depends on the ability to see, understand and act faster with greater precision. During Exercise Drone Crucible 26.3 at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Florida, Sept. 26-Oct. 2, the Florida National Guard put that principle into practice by integrating unmanned aircraft systems, communications technology and situational awareness integration capabilities to give commanders a more complete picture of the battlefield.

The U.S. National Drone Association hosted the event alongside the Florida National Guard and in concert with the War Department. Participants included personnel assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group; the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Florida National Guard; Navy SEAL Teams 10 and 7; the 2nd Marine Division; and U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command. 

The exercise tested unmanned systems and operational information sharing among military units and mission partners. Industry partners provided a secure platform that connected tactical users and enabled data sharing, supporting the Florida National Guard's integration with the National Guard Bureau and U.S. Northern Command's Homeland Tactical Assault Kit architecture.

The Florida National Guard's Situational Awareness Integration Team supported the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, during the exercise by integrating assault kit data and available video feeds into a common operating picture for the joint operations center. The kit allowed personnel in the field to share locations, threats and mission information, contributing to a more comprehensive operating picture.

During Drone Crucible 26.3, the Florida National Guard worked with Northcom and Joint Task Force National Capital Region to share kit data, unmanned aircraft telemetry and full-motion video. The effort connected the field activity with higher-level commands and demonstrated the potential to improve shared situational awareness.

The effort was designed to reduce the time between detection and decision-making during tactical lanes by bringing information from multiple systems and sources together in a way that supported commanders and operational teams.

"This exercise is giving us an opportunity to demonstrate how technology, innovation and strong partnerships can enhance the way we operate," said Army Maj. Gen. Robert Carruthers, Florida Army National Guard commander. "By integrating unmanned systems and our latest situational awareness and mission command software together, we are eliminating stovepipe systems, reducing multiple devices and air-gapping of information while providing commanders with a clearer, fused operational picture that enables faster, better-informed decisions."

The integration team provisioned about 82 assault kits and personal devices to the Florida National Guard server. At the same time, the operations center used eight video feeds to maintain situational awareness across the exercise.

During that time, the guard successfully shared assault kit position location information, operational overlays and full-motion video from unmanned systems with Northcom. The feeds included data from both unmanned surface vessels and unmanned aircraft systems.

"What we are building here has great value well beyond this exercise. Our goal is to develop a scalable capability that strengthens interoperability, speeds our kill chain, increases our situational awareness, and improves our ability to fight and win on a rapidly evolving battlefield," Carruthers said.

The integration allowed Northcom in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and JTF-NCR in the Washington area to remotely view information generated during the exercise. The team ultimately demonstrated the capability at the combatant command level.

The team also supported the integration of multiple other teams through a modernization cell, while subject matter experts specializing in unmanned systems and tactical assault kits provided technical expertise and rapid user support. That structure brought together personnel from the National Guard and industry partners, creating an environment where service members could rapidly collaborate, troubleshoot and refine the technology while conducting the exercise.

"We're taking emerging technologies and putting them to the test — validating the technology while also refining our standard operating procedures," said a special operator assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group. "It's about bringing the networks, hardware and software together, making sure those systems can communicate and determining how they support both our domestic and federal missions. It also gives us an opportunity to connect and operate with other states, units and government agencies."

For the Florida National Guard, the significance of Drone Crucible 26.3 extends farther than the technology being tested.

"Beyond this exercise, the Florida National Guard team sees an opportunity to integrate this capability more broadly with conventional forces and partner agencies," said Army 1st Lt. Lisa Casares, Florida National Guard situational awareness integrator.

"Having dedicated subject matter experts for each system has been critical to maintaining the common operating picture and resolving issues quickly," she said. "Continued support from these experts will help the Florida National Guard sustain this capability and build a situational awareness framework that can scale beyond a single exercise."

As unmanned systems and other emerging technologies continue to shape military operations, the ability to integrate information rapidly and provide commanders with a common operating picture is becoming increasingly important to how forces train, coordinate and respond.

"This exercise demonstrated how integrated unmanned systems strengthen soldiers on the battlefield," said Army Col. Todd Hopkins, Camp Blanding Joint Training Center commander. "They do not replace soldiers — they extend their reach, awareness, protection and precision to help them move, fight and win."

Centcom Launches First-Ever Multinational Attack Drone Task Force

Aug. 14, 2026 | By U.S. Central Command |

U.S. Central Command announced efforts to establish the first multidomain, multinational attack drone task force yesterday.

The unit, called Task Force Falcon Strike, will employ one-way attack drones consisting of unmanned systems from above, on and below the sea, operated by military support staff from the United States and regional partners.

Falcon Strike's launch occurs nine months after Centcom established Task Force Scorpion Strike, the U.S. military's first dedicated one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East.

Scorpion Strike rapidly achieved key operational milestones, including the first launch of an aerial attack drone from a Navy warship last December. The squadron also employed one-way unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury and during strikes on Iranian port facilities in July using unmanned attack vessels at sea.

"Task Force Falcon Strike will expand on Scorpion Strike's success given the tremendous innovation happening among our regional allies and partners," said Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, Centcom commander. "Integrating and deploying our new capabilities together will help us rapidly realize the new possibilities that are on the horizon."

Centcom has initiated consultations with official invitations to regional partners. As regional partners formally join, Task Force Falcon Strike will scale attack drone capabilities across the Middle East into a unified multidomain, multinational deterrent.

"The United States military has a lot of strong partnerships and friends in the region," Cooper said. "We are collectively stronger when we integrate and deploy new capabilities together."

Personnel from U.S. Special Operations Command Central, which launched Scorpion Strike, will lead Falcon Strike's staff of U.S. and regional representatives.

Fort Rucker's Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course Ramps Up Tactical Drone Training

July 29, 2026 | By Leslie Herlick, Aviation Center of Excellence |

The Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, is pushing forward with a series of updates aimed at strengthening tactical proficiency and meeting student expectations, said Army Staff Sgt. Mario Rostran, the course's noncommissioned officer in charge, and Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Gatta, the course manager.

Rostran said the leadership team is focused on refining instruction in response to student feedback to ensure the course delivers the advanced-level rigor it promises.

"We're continuing to improve the course," he said. "We're taking comments as we go and making sure [that] we're meeting the standards students expect. The goal is to make this the advanced course it claims to be."

Working alongside the team, Gatta is helping expand hands-on training and strengthen tactical application throughout the program.

"The most significant update is increasing the amount of physical, kinetic engagements from five to 12," he said. "We have been working to refine the overall course to run smoother and provide the most up-to-date data."

To meet the demand for advanced instruction, the course is shifting to a more tactical framework. Gatta noted the class will complete a culminating exercise this week at the drone training facility in Daleville, Alabama, marking a new experience for the students.

"This exercise will demonstrate a more real-world tactical environment and incorporate a close-quarters battle level of training, whereas previous emphasis has been heavily placed on outdoor live flights," he said. "Our current goal is to make the training more tactical in nature. I believe we have several solid plans to build on moving forward."

During this iteration of the course, students conducted live-engagement training using a purpose-built attributable system, the Shank 1.0, and C-4, a versatile plastic explosive. The event allowed students to apply lessons learned by flying the system, coordinating altitude and executing tactical employment against a designated target.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Riley Watts, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, spent months trying to enroll in the course. He said attending has given him a clearer view of how unmanned aircraft systems fit into the future of Army aviation.

"This is a great course to keep you relevant in today's force," Watts said. "Seeing how UAS is being implemented and utilized in today's Army is eye-opening, and it shows you how important it is to understand these systems."

Matthew Baldwin, a civil engineering major at the U.S. Military Academy, is attending to take tactical drone employment strategies back to the academy's future applied systems and tactics team. His leaders pushed to send two cadets to the course to expand their understanding of drone employment and to share that knowledge when they return.

Baldwin, who hopes to commission into the air defense artillery branch, said the course offers a perspective that will be important to future Army operations.

"One of the big questions is how to counter drones effectively," he said. "You're talking about sending a very expensive rocket to take out a cheap drone. Understanding drones from the operator's side, how they fly, what they look for, helps you understand how to counter them."

Although he arrived with limited tactical flying experience, he said the hands-on instruction has significantly boosted his confidence.

"I didn't know how to tactically fly. It's a completely different flying style," Baldwin said. "I feel better flying them, and now we're trying to develop a training program to help build other pilots on our team."

Beyond flying, Baldwin highlighted the value of the course's mission-planning segments.

"I've really appreciated the planning side, [the military decision-making process], troop-leading procedures, what goes into reconnaissance," he said. "I hadn't learned a lot of that yet. Going into my [fundamentals of small-unit operations] class and eventually into the Army, my knowledge base is definitely better now."

The Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course runs six times per fiscal year, providing recurring opportunities for soldiers seeking advanced UAS training. Upcoming course dates are Sept. 14-Oct. 2, and Nov. 2-20.

Department of War Establishes Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems to Ensure American Drone Dominance

July 1, 2026 |

The Department of War today announced the comprehensive consolidation of all Unmanned and Autonomous Systems (UxS) under a newly established, direct-report position to the Deputy Secretary of War. This strategic priority aims to rapidly accelerate the development, procurement, and fielding at scale of autonomous capabilities, which are essential to maintaining the United States' decisive military advantage.

"This structural reorganization directly implements a series of decisive actions taken by the administration. Drones and autonomous systems represent the most consequential battlefield innovation of this generation," said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell. "Adversaries collectively produce millions of unmanned systems each year across all domains. While global military production has skyrocketed over the last three years, the United States must move at the speed this moment demands to field these capabilities at scale and secure our tactical and strategic edge."

Last year, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Orders directing the reform of the Department's acquisition processes to ensure the United States Military possesses the most lethal warfighting capabilities in the world, "Unleashing American Drone Dominance," which directed the DoW to procure, integrate, and train using low-cost, high-performing drones manufactured in the United States, and "Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty," establishing critical authorities to counter growing adversary unmanned threats. Following these directives, Secretary Hegseth issued an implementing memorandum on July 10, 2025, committing the Department to bolstering the domestic drone manufacturing base, arming combat units with low-cost unmanned systems, and training the joint force to fight and win with these capabilities.

To establish an immediate operational baseline and consolidate specialized expertise, the DRPM- UxS will provide direct oversight and direction for all unmanned activities, functions, and associated programmatic funding lines currently assigned to the Department of War to include Services Components, Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group.

The Secretary of War's memorandum can be found here.