U.S. Army Brigade Estimates 1,000–1,500 Drones Needed Weekly in Sustained Combat

Col. Ryan Bell said a U.S. Army brigade would require between 1,000 and 1,500 drones per week during sustained combat operations. Bell, commander of the 3rd Mobile Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, spoke to reporters this week after the unit participated in a recent Joint Readiness Training Center wargame at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

The brigade tested a variety of drones, including cheap self-assembled models, for gathering intelligence on enemy positions and striking targets. "If a company has only one or two drones, or a platoon has a single drone, it's a niche capability," Bell said. " Bell identified three main takeaways from the exercise: mass, cost, and usability.

He said systems must remain inexpensive so commanders will employ them without hesitation and must be simple enough for a 19-year-old private operating after 48 hours without sleep. The brigade used a terminal guidance capability that allows a first-person-view drone to lock onto a target, reducing the training burden on operators.

One-to-many swarm control, which would let a single operator manage multiple drones, remains under development.

Bell also pointed to demand signals for the defense industry in high-capacity batteries and smaller hybrid generators to support increased drone operations.