Green Berets Test Glider Drones for Resupply During NATO Exercise

U.S. Army Green Berets tested two Grasshopper glider drones during the Trojan Footprint exercise held this month in Romania and Macedonia. Romanian aircraft released the drones, which carried construction materials, food, and medical supplies to American troops on the ground.

The drones are designed to land within 10 meters of a pre-programmed GPS target and deploy a parachute before a controlled nose-first impact. They require only limited electronic activity and can remain below detection thresholds in the electromagnetic spectrum.

The Grasshopper, manufactured by Dzyne, can carry up to 500 pounds of cargo. It can be released from altitudes as high as 25,000 feet and remain airborne for hours, with each unit pre-programmed to reach a different team. A Special Operations Command Europe logistics official said the platform functions like a paper airplane, with higher release altitudes allowing greater range.

The drones are described by the company as an expendable aerial resupply system for contested environments.

The testing addresses concerns about electronic emissions from radios, communications systems, and command equipment that can reveal troop locations to enemy sensors. The logistics official stated there is no safe rear area because of the electromagnetic environment.

U.S. military is reducing reliance on digital systems developed during the Global War on Terror and returning to traditional tools such as paper maps and compasses. It remains unclear how the glider drones will perform at scale or in challenging weather conditions.