U.S. Congress Questions Shutdown of Unit Studying Ukraine’s Drone Warfare

U.S. lawmakers are demanding that Army leaders explain their decision to end the drone-warfare mission of a battalion in the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

The Associated Press reports that members of Congress are especially concerned because the unit was created to develop and test new drone tactics, including tactics based on Ukraine’s experience fighting Russia.

The unit includes about 600 soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, which is based in Europe. It was established in November 2025 to deploy wherever the U.S. Army needed specialized troops and capabilities for drone warfare.

Now, acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve has ordered the soldiers to return to their traditional role as airborne infantry. In effect, the Army is ending the unit’s focus on drone warfare less than a year after creating it.

The decision has drawn criticism in Congress. Lawmakers have particularly warned that the move could reduce the U.S. military’s ability to learn from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

They argue that eliminating the specialized drone unit could limit the U.S. Army’s ability to gather and analyze lessons from its allies, especially Ukraine, and could slow the development of new tactics for using drones.

In a letter to Army leadership, the lawmakers said that creating the specialized unit was a timely response to the changing nature of modern warfare. On the battlefield, drones are widely used for reconnaissance, striking targets, directing artillery fire, and carrying out other combat missions.

Meanwhile, drone tactics are evolving so quickly that traditional military units struggle to adapt at the same pace.

After Gen. Randy George was removed as Army Chief of Staff in April 2026, LaNeve took over his duties. It was LaNeve who ordered the 173rd Brigade unit to return to its traditional infantry role.

Militarnyi previously reported that the U.S. had decided to disband an experimental battalion modeled on Ukrainian units specializing in drone operations and drone assault missions.

The elimination of the experimental unit is part of a new U.S. Army strategy that its leadership describes as a “return to basics.”