Army’s unmanned systems summit is helping the service field drones to units faster

U.S. Army paratroopers change the batteries of the Flying basket drone during Swift Response 2025 in Lithuania, May 15, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jose Lora)

By Mark Pomerleau • Aug 15, 2025

The Army’s eighth unmanned aerial systems summit is providing a path to more quickly equip units with drones, according to officials.

The event, hosted at Fort Rucker, Alabama, is taking guidance from multiple levels of government to rapidly supply UAS — to include lethal systems — at every echelon from squad to corps.

Service leaders are looking to “take the guidance from the Army Transformation Initiative that was published in April, the White House executive order on unleashing American drone dominance that was published in June, and the secretary of defense guidance on unleashing U.S. military drone dominance that was published in July … and rapidly turn it into action as part of our transformation for the Army to employ unmanned aircraft systems,” Col. Nicholas Ryan, director for Army capability manager for unmanned aircraft systems and launched effects, told reporters during a teleconference Tuesday.