February 10, 2026 at 10:51 PM
The Army is writing the book on using small drones in a tank formation
The goal is to make every soldier a drone operator.
Soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, establish radio communications during Project Flytrap at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, July 27, 2025. U.S. Army / Staff Sgt.
Christopher Saunders As the Army’s Transformation-in-Contact brigades test and help develop new technology, they’re also shaping how soldiers will be trained to use it.At Fort Stewart, Georgia, soldiers in the 3rd Infantry Division are working on a pair of courses to certify soldiers to operate small unmanned aerial systems, part of a servicewide effort to create doctrine around using drones throughout every formation. “3rd ID, specifically, is developing ways to qualify their operators on the different systems, and we are sending feedback back through the proper channels to big Army, to work on developing an Army-wide qualification course,” Capt. William Langley, who leads the UAS and electronic warfare element in the 2nd Armored Brigade’s 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, told reporters Tuesday.Both the 1st and 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Teams are participating in TiC, with a special focus on integrating drones into tank units, said Capt.