The U.S. Army is phasing out an experimental unmanned assault battalion stationed in Europe, ending a short-lived effort to integrate attack drones and ground robots into conventional infantry operations. The unit, part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, will refocus on its core airborne infantry mission after completing exercises in Germany running through September.
The battalion was established in January under the push of former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Gen. Christopher Donahue, then commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. It experimented with drone deployment and set up an FPV drone laboratory at Caserma Del Din in Italy. The decision to shutter the unit has drawn criticism from military experts, particularly as Ukraine races to scale its own unmanned capabilities, with Kyiv aiming to produce at least 50,000 combat robots by year's end.