Soldiers Experiment With First-Person-View Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Feb. 25, 2026 | By Army Spc. Rebeca Soria, 3rd Infantry Division |

The Army's 3rd Infantry Division is revolutionizing how ground forces employ unmanned aircraft systems through specialized UAS operators assigned to the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, which officials say is critical to winning on the modern battlefield.

Combat team soldiers have fundamentally changed how drones are used at the brigade level by spreading the technology across the entire force and establishing a hub for testing innovative capabilities, said Army Capt. William Langley, brigade collection manager. 

"UAS is important on the modern battlefield today because it is a very fast-paced battlefield," Langley said. "The faster you can receive information and sense the enemy, the faster you can react, and whoever reacts first wins."  

The unit combines electronic warfare, UAS and launch effects platoons — a reorganization that provides tactical advantages on the battlefield. Soldiers are experimenting with various payloads on drones, including electronic warfare sensors and advanced capabilities for operational missions.

Army 1st Lt. Declan McKeown, UAS platoon leader, said the combat team aims to improve operational effectiveness by using its platoons to gather intelligence and respond to threats faster than traditional methods allow. 

"The enemy wants to find us first, so it's a competition between the enemy and us to utilize our systems to be able to sense, track and maintain tactical advantage," McKeown said. 

The innovation comes as the 3rd ID participates in the Army's Transforming in Contact 2.0 initiative, which accelerates how combat formations test and adopt new technologies. The division has been designated as an initiative unit, positioning it at the forefront of procurement and experimentation with different platforms.

"Innovation is necessary for the 3rd ID to be successful because, as we have seen in recent conflicts in Ukraine, Israel and other places around the world, the way we fight battles is changing at a rapid pace, and we must continue to modernize to maintain our readiness for future operations," Langley said.

A recent training exercise at Fort Stewart, Georgia, during Spartan Focus 26, featured 6th Squadron soldiers conducting UAS training with C100 medium-range reconnaissance systems configured with 3D-printed training rounds. The exercise incorporated lessons learned from Ukraine, where low-cost quadcopter drones have been widely used in recent conflicts. 

The division's approach has significantly improved the decision-making cycle, allowing forces to gather and process intelligence much faster than previous methods, McKeown said, emphasizing the importance of soldiers maintaining situational awareness. 

"Whoever sees the enemy first can react first, and can respond more effectively, which leads to operational success," he said. 

Soldiers continue to experiment with electronic warfare payloads on medium-range reconnaissance systems and test various configurations on first-person-view drones to determine system limitations and capabilities. The ongoing innovation includes stressing equipment through rigorous training to understand what works best for operational units.

The division's 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade has also integrated unmanned systems manufacturing capabilities, training soldiers on expeditionary manufacturing cells that enable rapid 3D printing of drone components in the field. Soldiers printed more than 90 unique components in hours rather than waiting weeks for ordered parts. 

Langley said being a part of the 3rd ID during this transformative period presents unique opportunities. 

"This is an exciting time to be part of this unit, and it's a great time to test our new capabilities and to really release the creativity of soldiers at every level," he said. 

Securing Rare Earth Elements a National Security Imperative, Official Says

Feb. 24, 2026 | By David Vergun, Pentagon News |

Securing a resilient supply chain for critical minerals is fundamental to national security and the economy, said Michael P. Cadenazzi Jr., assistant secretary of war for industrial base policy, who testified today at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington.

He noted that there is a growing demand for U.S. capabilities from allies and partners, such as fifth-generation aircraft, precision-guided munitions, satellite constellations and next-generation naval vessels. Cadenazzi said those capabilities all depend on a reliable supply of rare earth elements, including gallium antimony and germanium, as well as dozens of others.

"For decades, we have outsourced and offshored mining and processing, creating a strategic vulnerability of the highest order. Today, our primary strategic competitor, China, controls the global supply chain for numerous critical minerals," he said.

On heavy rare earths alone, China controls 95% of global output, with the United States importing almost 100% of what it uses, 90% of that coming from China.

"This control provides Beijing with the ability to weaponize these supply chains, threatening to disrupt our defense industrial base and compromise military readiness in a crisis; this is not a theoretical risk. It is a clear and present danger to our national security," Cadenazzi said.

To address this vulnerability, the War Department developed a comprehensive, multiyear strategy designed to create a secure, resilient and sustainable supply chain ecosystem, Cadenazzi said.

Included in that approach is a commitment to reshore and onshore the production of critical minerals. Congress provided funding to do this, he said, utilizing the Defense Production Act.

Cadenazzi said his office partners with colleagues in the Office of Strategic Capital to offer loans, loan guarantees and debt financing options to bring mineral supply chains to friendly shores.

"Through these tools, we are sending a clear and sustained demand signal to the industrial base. We are working across the entire value chain, from mine to front line, to build our resilience," he said.

Although DOW prioritizes domestic production, Cadenazzi said no single nation can achieve complete self-sufficiency. Therefore, the supply chain includes allies and America's closest partners.

The department is also aggressively investing in research and development to mitigate demand for the most heavily contested minerals.

"Our scientists at [the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency] and other service research labs are pioneering the development of next-generation materials and novel manufacturing techniques that can reduce or eliminate the need for certain rare earths and other critical inputs," Cadenazzi said.

He noted that other DOW strategies include funding the development of advanced recycling technologies to recover rare earth from systems and materials being retired, and modernizing the national defense stockpile to ensure it serves as an effective buffer against near-term supply chain shocks.

"We are conducting a rigorous, data-driven analysis of our strategic requirements for 21st-century contested environments and [we] are taking action to acquire materials that face the most acute supply chain risks," Cadenazzi said.

Forecasting the Fight: How Meteorology, Oceanography Marines Support Operational Planning

Feb. 24, 2026 | By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kindsey Calvert, III Marine Expeditionary Force |

Weather, while it cannot be controlled, can be predicted, which helps commanders make informed decisions about planning exercises and troop movements. Meteorology and oceanography Marines support battlefield capabilities through forecasting and predicting how weather will impact operations.

These Marines are trained meteorologists and oceanographers who look at the current state of the environment and create weather forecasts that support operational planning and execution. They create routine forecasts, 96-120 hours out, using satellite data and weather patterns, in addition to future forecasts for exercise planning, using historical weather data over a 20-year period.

"Out here in the Pacific, weather can determine both friendly and adversarial pacing of operations," said Marine Corps Sgt. Priya Hasham, a meteorology and oceanography analyst forecaster with the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

To learn this field, Marines attend a yearlong program where they are taught basic physics, develop an understanding of the atmosphere and how it affects the weather and gain the ability to interpret weather radar data to create forecasts. 

In creating a forecast, satellite imagery, radar and data from weather stations around the world can be used. Pattern recognition also plays a significant role in forecasting, making personal experience an important factor. Since weather is influenced by local terrain, the longer a Marine has been in an area, the more familiar they are with local weather patterns, improving their ability to create accurate predictions.

Most Marine Corps installations have these specialized Marines, whose responsibilities vary between units. At the III Marine Expeditionary Force, their weather predictions support intelligence and battlespace awareness by looking at the big picture of air, land and sea operations to inform commanders as to how assets will operate in various weather conditions.

"Forecasting is an art and science," Hasham said. "There is a lot of technical skill involved."

War, Energy Departments Team up to Advance Future of Nuclear Power, Military Base Energy Security

Feb. 15, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

At March Air Reserve Base, California, today, a next-generation nuclear reactor was loaded aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for transport to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The reactor will eventually head to the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab for testing and evaluation.

The Ward 250 is a 5 megawatt nuclear reactor that fits into the back of a C-17 aircraft could theoretically power about 5,000 homes. 

For military use, such a reactor could provide energy security on a military base ensuring the mission there need not depend on the civilian power grid, and in military operations overseas, such reactors would mean U.S. forces could operate without concern that an enemy might cut fuel supplies. 

A reactor such as the Ward 250 also means greater energy security for the entire United States. It is firmly in line with President Donald J. Trump's executive orders to reshape and modernize America's nuclear energy landscape. 

The president signed four executive orders designed to advance America's nuclear energy posture, May 23, 2025. Those include "Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base," "Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy," "Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," and "Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security." 

Michael P. Duffey, the undersecretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said the partnership between the War and Energy Departments is critical to advancing the president's nuclear energy initiatives. 

"It's clear to me that advancing President Trump's priority on nuclear energy depends on close coordination between the Department of Energy and the Department of War," Duffey said. "This partnership ensures advanced nuclear technologies are developed, evaluated and deployed in ways that strengthen energy resilience and national security." 

The future of warfare is energy-intensive, he said, and includes AI data centers, directed-energy weapons, and space and cyber infrastructure. The civilian power grid was not built for that, and so the War Department will need to build its own energy infrastructure.

"Powering next generation warfare will require us to move faster than our adversaries, to build a system that doesn't just equip our warfighters to fight, but equips them to win at extraordinary speed," Duffey said. "Today is a monumental step toward building that system. By supporting the industrial base and its capacity to innovate, we accelerate the delivery of resilient power to where it's needed." 

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said that with small reactors like those transferred from March Air Reserve Base to Hill Air Force Base, the United States is aiming for a nuclear energy renaissance. 

"The American nuclear renaissance is to get that ball moving again, fast, carefully, but with private capital, American innovation and determination," Wright said. "President Trump signed multiple executive orders that have unleashed tremendous reform of all the things that stopped the American nuclear industry from moving." 

Part of that effort, he said, will mean that by July 4, the administration expects three small reactors will be critical — or running smoothly.

"That's speed, that's innovation, that's the start of a nuclear renaissance," Wright said.

DOW Aims to Accelerate Advanced Materials Processing

Feb. 13, 2026 |

The Department of War (DOW) announced today the September 17, 2025 investment on a five-year contract totaling nearly $9.2 million to the national advanced materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, LIFT, to address manufacturing challenges associated with ceramic matrix composites (CMC). This announcement was delayed due to the government shutdown. This effort, funded through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP))'s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, supports White House and Secretary of War priorities in advanced composites manufacturing research and development and defense industrial base workforce development.

"This project aims to disrupt manufacturing affordability through advanced materials and processing technologies," said Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy Michael Cadenazzi. "I believe its location in Detroit, Michigan at LIFT's new Ceramics Manufacturing Center will help revitalize economic growth and industrial capacity in a state with a rich history in building America's industrial might." 

While composites have been used for decades, they're relatively new to the centuries old metallics manufacturing industry. Recent advancements in carbon-fiber technologies have impacted CMCs, which are known for their ability to withstand higher temperatures as compared to their polymer composite counterparts. This capability is currently being employed in technologies used in the production of commercial products and defense-critical systems such as stealth aircraft, jet engines, and hypersonic weapons.

LIFT is 1 of 18 Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes designed to foster innovation, enhance domestic supply chains, and forge a skilled workforce to reestablish U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing across the globe.

Since the IBAS Program's inception in 2014, the Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office has invested over $2.6 billion across 206 projects to restore domestic manufacturing capacity and capability. ICAM is part of OASW(IBP)'s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Resilience. For more information on MCEIP, please visit: https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html

About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP))

The OASW(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future. OASW(IBP)'s Innovation Capability and Modernization Office, which executes the IBAS Program, provides DOW with key capabilities to achieve the strategic aims of the Department and Presidential Executive Orders. These call for a strong, resilient, responsive, and healthy national industrial base that can respond at-will to national security requirements.

Joint Force Marks First Lightfish Unmanned Vessel Launch

Feb. 11, 2026 | By Navy Lt. Heather Chairez, U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs |

Commander Task Force 66 launched the Lightfish, an unmanned surface vessel, for the first time from a partner nation's vessel during Exercise Cutlass Express 26 off the coast of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, Feb. 9.

 
The launch was part of an unmanned systems training event with the Seychelles Coast Guard, designed to test the Lightfish's abilities in the open ocean with limited connection. 
 
"We are making history at Cutlass Express 26 by demonstrating our enhanced warfighting skills through our robotic and unmanned capabilities alongside our maritime partners," said Navy Lt. Bryna Loranger, CTF 66 operations officer. "[U.S.] 6th Fleet is seeking new ways to build partner maritime domain awareness capabilities during this exercise by promoting interoperability. Through sharing and experimenting with Seychelles Coast Guard assets and infrastructure, we are enhancing our expeditionary robotic autonomous systems capabilities in the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility." 
 
CTF 66 is a fully uncrewed task force that uses advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence, to help the 6th Fleet and its partners move faster to maintain a strong presence across Africa's maritime zones while detecting illegal activity. 
 
The task force is leading the Navy in innovating its approach to warfighting during an age when information systems, technology and vulnerabilities in the global economy are being weaponized by adversaries operating in the gray zone, outside the domain of traditional warfare.

 
"Through exercises like Cutlass Express 26, we are adapting alongside our partners by integrating unmanned tactics directly into operations," said Navy Rear Adm. Kelly Ward, director of strategic effects for CTF 66. "We are leaning into this domain hand in hand with our partners, translating innovation into warfighting readiness and enhancing maritime security to protect freedom of navigation." 
 
Cutlass Express 26 has 19 partners and allies working together through a series of shore-based training events. The exercise provides all participating nations with an opportunity to work side by side to synchronize and rehearse real-world scenarios that will include medical training, visit, board, search and seizure and maritime interdiction training, as well as counter illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing procedures. 
 
Established in May 2024, CTF 66 is the 6th Fleet's first all-domain task force designed to integrate robotic and autonomous systems with naval, joint and NATO partners in the European and African theaters of operations. Since its establishment, the task force has driven innovation and developed unmanned technologies to enhance the way militaries integrate naval platforms across all domains, all of which are enabled by this emerging technology.

 
CTF 66 currently maintains 22 USVs; however, the task force expects to double its lethality as additional assets reach operational readiness. These USVs increase maritime domain awareness and serve as force multipliers. 
 
Exercises like Cutlass Express allow CTF 66 to leverage strong collaboration with partners and allied nations to operate large numbers of unmanned systems at scale. These partnerships enable the task force to preposition and deploy assets in host countries ahead of time. 
 
CTF 66 and its USVs continue to enhance deterrence, lethality and capabilities in the European and African theaters of operations.

DOW Strengthens Domestic Production of Critical Display Technologies

Feb. 12, 2026 |

The Department of War (DOW) announced today two September 19, 2025 investments totaling $24.5 million to bolster the U.S. supply chain for advanced optical displays.  This announcement was delayed due to the government shutdown. The projects, funded through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP))'s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, were awarded this summer to Kopin Corporation of Westborough, Massachusetts and Tectus Corporation of Cupertino, California. They will focus on developing and validating a cost-effective manufacturing process for MicroLED displays that are essential for next-generation weapon systems.

"Microdisplays are crucial components in delivering information to the joint warfighter and are integrated into solutions across all domains including heads-up-displays for pilots, advanced night vision goggles, weapon optics, and unmanned systems," said Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy Michael Cadenazzi. "Securing a domestic supply of advanced MicroLED displays is vital for the Department's next-generation defense applications, ensuring both performance and security."

Both projects will establish an onshore, multi-vendor supply chain of state-of-the-art MicroLED displays.  MicroLED technology promisea to enable daylight readability with full-color symbology and imagery by delivering ultra-high brightness levels that remain visible in direct sunlight, while also supporting high image quality at low brightness for nighttime operations.  The technology also allows for reduced size, weight and power, improving warfighter capability and effectiveness.

These investments demonstrate the Department's commitment to strengthening domestic manufacturing and securing critical supply chains. They also support the Secretary of War's priority of Rebuilding the Military by ensuring that there are reliable, trusted U.S. manufacturers of state-of-the-art micro-displays to enable successful development, delivery, and operation of next-generation weapon systems.

Since the IBAS Program's inception in 2014, the Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office has invested over $2.6 billion across 205 projects to restore domestic manufacturing capacity and capability.  ICAM is part of OASW(IBP)'s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Resilience.  For more information on MCEIP, please visit: https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html.

About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP))

The OASW(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future.  The OASW(IBP)'s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, which manages the IBAS Program, provides DOW with key capabilities to achieve the strategic aims of Department priorities and Presidential Executive Orders.  These call for a strong, resilient, responsive, and healthy national industrial base that can respond at-will to national security requirements.