The U.S. Army has announced a force-wide overhaul of its operational doctrine to achieve drone dominance. The service said Monday that it will integrate real-world operational experience into doctrine updates and accelerate how tactics, techniques and procedures are developed and refined.
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How Is the Army Updating Doctrine for Drone Warfare?
The Army has reportedly already begun incorporating lessons from recent conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine, into key publications. The service recently rolled out an update to Field Manual 3-0 that introduces new operational imperatives, such as protecting forces from constant observation and using sensors or small unmanned platforms to initiate contact.
The Army’s Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate works with the service's centers of excellence to develop doctrines. For instance, the Maneuver Center of Excellence is finalizing new guidance on the tactical use of small drones, while the Fires Center of Excellence is updating doctrine to help units counter emerging drone threats, according to the Army.
“Most efforts this past year focused on fielding systems and learning to use them,” stated CADD Director Richard Creed. “As operational forces gain expertise, we can better determine what the doctrine should say.”
What Is the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance Initiative?
The Army’s doctrinal overhaul aligns with the Department of War’s broader push to achieve drone dominance through the rapid fielding and acquisition of low-cost unmanned systems and by strengthening the U.S. drone manufacturing base.
As part of the effort, the Pentagon launched the Drone Dominance Program to accelerate procurement of one-way attack drones, with plans to acquire more than 200,000 systems by 2027. The program uses phased evaluations, including the Gauntlet, where operators test vendor systems in real-world conditions.
In February, the department announced the 25 companies selected to participate in the Gauntlet. DOW expects to award approximately $150 million in prototype delivery orders following the evaluation stage.
