US to Disband Strike UAV Battalion in Europe

The strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) battalion created by the U.S. Army in Europe earlier this year will be disbanded as part of a "back to basics" strategy.

This was reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing a U.S. Army official.

Last November, a decision was made to create a "tactical drone systems battalion" to study the combat experience in Ukraine and develop concepts for using robots to support brigade combat teams. It was expected that the new unit would drive innovation, but the battalion is being gradually disbanded.

The unit of approximately 600 personnel was officially formed in January on the basis of the 173rd Airborne Brigade under the designation of the third battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The UAV military units visited Kyiv for consultations with their Ukrainian counterparts and interacted with them at NATO training grounds.

"Last spring, Ukrainian military personnel served as the opposing force and prevailed over a U.S. brigade combat team rotating through Europe," the publication notes.

The disbandment is part of the strategy of the acting U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Christopher LaNeve. The creation of the battalion was originally an initiative of the former Chief of Staff, General Randy George. As WSJ notes, when the unit was formed, it was not specified how long it would carry out its mission.

The U.S. Army official added that in August the drone battalion will participate in the major Saber Junction exercise at the Hohenfels base in Germany. After that, the results of the unit's work will be presented as a basis for shaping future force design and conducting future experiments.