101st Airborne Division
Coverage of 101st Airborne Division in the Nexus archive.
- 101st soldiers use drones to drop grappling hooks, breach razor wire
Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division tested new drone applications during a training rotation, using drones to drop grappling hooks and breach razor wire. The unit developed in-house 'Attritable Battlefield Enabler' drones with 3D-printed attachments, supported by the Robotics and Autonomous Integration Directorate.
- US soldiers need drones they can easily grab like ammo and fly under fire, Army commander says
US Army commanders emphasize the need for numerous, affordable, and easy-to-use drones that soldiers can deploy like ammunition in combat. Colonel Ryan Bell of the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Mobile Brigade highlighted that mass drone usage, rather than niche capabilities, enhances combat power, citing exercises where soldiers used 3D-printed and cheap drones for intelligence and attacks. The Army prioritizes scalability, cost-effectiveness, and simplified user interfaces to reduce cognitive load on troops.
- A US Army brigade used hundreds of one-way attack drones in a recent wargame. Over half were homemade.
A US Army brigade used hundreds of one-way attack drones in a recent wargame, with over half built by soldiers using 3D printing. The drones, costing around $750 each, were used for intelligence, surveillance, and electronic warfare during the exercise.