The U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade recently established a drone lab where soldiers can design, build, and test unmanned aerial systems.
Located at Caserma Del Din in Italy, the lab is operated by paratroopers from the 173rd and soldiers from the 414th Contracting Support Brigade. It has become a hands-on workshop where troops solder wires, install motors, and program flight software.
Colonel Joshua Gaspard, commander of the 173rd, initiated the creation of the lab to give soldiers quicker access to drones that can be used for both surveillance and strike missions.
To support the effort, the brigade also launched a 15-day drone school, where soldiers learn to build, fly, and deploy drones during field exercises.
In one recent live-fire event, the drones created by the 173rd Airborne Brigade successfully struck targets, demonstrating their potential for future operations.
“We are designing FPV drones that are capable of lethal effects—basically steerable mortars—and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions,” said 1st Lt. Aiden Roberts, a member of the Bayonet Innovation Team.
The brigade is also working with the Army’s Artificial Intelligence Integration Center to add software that helps drones lock onto and fly toward targets. They are also taking steps to reduce electronic and cybersecurity risks by moving away from foreign-made components.
“We are always at risk of being jammed when operating radio-based drones,” said Roberts. “We hope to mitigate those risks by integrating autonomous navigation software onboard.”
The 173rd Airborne Brigade’s initiative is part of a larger Army effort to modernize capabilities. A recent memo from the Secretary of Defense mandates that all Army divisions integrate drones by 2026.
