US Military is trading tanks in for drones

As nations continue to learn and develop new systems, the US military is starting to change its purchasing tactics away from more tanks to more drones. Both the US Army and Marines have various test units working through new squad formations, drone equipment, and tactics to learn from Ukraine’s success with drones on the battlefield.

Recently, new tests have started in Germany with drones taking a leading role alongside tanks. Part of the Army’s Transformation in Contact program, drone suppliers can bring their products to the testing grounds to work with units in improving their systems.

This operation is taking 3D-printed, FPV drones and working on a structure that helps defend the Army’s M1 Abrams main battle tank. Using forward observers and additional anti-UAS units, the branch is hoping to keep its tanks protected and relevant in a new warfare age where they can be easily picked off by drones.

Drones are playing a vital role in the US Army as Ukraine and Russia’s use of them in their war have shown that a Cold War way of combat is no longer going to happen. Now it doesn’t matter how big your tanks are or how large of a force you can advance, but it’s all about information and innovation.

The Army is looking at adding almost 1,000 drones to each of its combat divisions. From surveillance to direct effects, the oldest branch of the armed forces is looking at the latest tech to overhaul its entire warfighting handbook.

Part of that means moving away from larger vehicles and using those funds to purchase those thousands of drones. The branch has already canceled its M10 Booker light tank after only taking possession of 80 of them and is limiting its purchase of its HUMVEE replacement. Instead, it’s thinking drones can do the job better or just as good for less.

The Marines are also joining in with the overhaul by ditching their traditional use of tanks for island hopping in the Pacific, instead choosing to use drones.

If there is an armed conflict with the United States in the near future with another nation, it would likely look entirely different from what we’ve seen in the past. More technology and information will be the name of the game, many of which will come via drones.