Army Aviation’s Wasted Decade: Lessons for the Next Generation of Drone Integration

In 2006, the U.S. Army's 25th Combat Aviation Brigade deployed to Iraq and pioneered the integration of Task Force ODIN drones with Apache attack helicopters from the 82nd Airborne Division. This first-of-its-kind pairing combined manned and unmanned sensors to identify and destroy improvised explosive devices and high-value targets, representing what military leaders saw as the future of warfare.