A cross-party coalition of U.S. legislators is pushing the U.S. Army to justify its controversial order to disband a specialized drone warfare unit based in Europe, a decision that comes amid a global shift in modern combat toward widespread reliance on uncrewed aerial systems.
Established last November, the 600-strong 173rd Airborne Brigade’s specialized drone battalion was designed to develop custom uncrewed vehicles and refine tactics that have already reshaped 21st century warfare: the same drone-centric strategies Ukraine has deployed to devastating effect against invading Russian forces, and that Iran has used to inflict casualties on U.S. troops across the Middle East. Tasked with rapid deployment to any theater where drone capabilities were urgently needed, the unit aligned with broader U.S. military efforts to adapt to rapidly evolving battlefields.
In a public letter shared with The Associated Press on Tuesday, the bipartisan group of four lawmakers laid out stark concerns that eliminating the specialized drone unit will curtail the U.S. military’s ability to glean critical operational insights from frontline allies, most notably Ukraine’s battle-tested armed forces. They argue the move will also slow critical efforts to modernize U.S. drone warfare tactics at the pace required to maintain competitive advantage on modern battlefields.
The letter, addressed to outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, requests an in-person briefing to fully unpack the reasoning behind the Army’s decision. Signatories include Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, independent Senator Angus King of Maine, and Republican Representative Mike Turner of Ohio, a rare display of cross-partisan agreement on military policy.
“This specialized unit was a prudent response in a moment when the character of warfare is changing faster than a conventional formation’s ability to adapt,” the legislators wrote in the document. They emphasized that the unit had been operational for less than a year, and they are eager to review the full data, internal analysis, and decision-making process that led to the order to shut it down. Lawmakers also want clarity on whether the decision originated from internal Army leadership or was driven by broader guidance from Pentagon brass.
The order to refocus the 173rd Airborne Brigade back on its core airborne infantry mission was issued recently by LaNeve, who stepped into the role of acting Army chief of staff after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly removed former Army chief Gen. Randy George from his post in April without any public explanation.
Integrating drone technology into standard Army tactical doctrine was a central policy priority for George during his tenure. Alongside Driscoll, George launched the Army Transformation Initiative last year, a wide-ranging reform plan that centered on rolling out modernized unmanned aircraft systems into standard frontline formations. George, who was appointed to the top Army role by former President Joe Biden, repeatedly emphasized the urgent need to speed development of new drone systems and get these capabilities into the hands of regular infantry soldiers, rather than restricting them to small specialized units.
Driscoll, who announced his resignation earlier this week after 18 months in the top Army civilian role, was a close ally of George and openly supported his drone modernization agenda. Driscoll focused heavily on cutting bureaucratic red tape to allow defense contractors to accelerate drone development and deployment to frontline units. No public reason has been given for Driscoll’s departure, but multiple reports have documented ongoing tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth over policy and leadership priorities.
“We are supportive of the transformative initiatives the Army has taken under Secretary Driscoll’s leadership in this area and would like to see that momentum maintained even as uniformed leadership changes,” the lawmakers wrote in closing.
The original reporting for this story was contributed by Toropin from Nuremberg, Germany.