US Army Tests Combat Drones at Fort Irwin

The United States Army 4th Infantry Division conducted drone experimentation exercises at Fort Irwin, California, to integrate small uncrewed aerial systems and ground vehicles into future combat operations. Soldiers tested a variety of systems, including the Neros Archer, Anduril's Bolt-M, Teledyne FLIR Defense's Rogue I, Teal Drones' Black Widow, and the NOMAD ground vehicle, with a primary focus on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Operational testing in the Mojave Desert revealed significant hardware challenges. Extreme heat caused systems to overheat and reduced battery life, while the terrain and simulated enemy jamming created connectivity issues. Army leaders also identified a lack of interoperability between many of the tested systems and the Next Generation Command and Control prototype.

The initiative draws lessons from the conflict in Ukraine to refine operational tactics and equipment loadouts. The Army intends to use direct soldier feedback from these exercises to improve the reliability and integration of uncrewed systems before deploying them in future warfare.