Army adapts doctrine force-wide, integrating drone lessons to achieve ‘drone dominance' | Article | The United States Army
AI Analysis
The U.S. Army is overhauling its operational doctrine to integrate lessons from UAS usage, aiming for 'drone dominance' in modern warfare. This involves a shift to an iterative, experience-driven update process for tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Key Takeaways
- The Army is implementing a force-wide doctrinal overhaul focused on drone integration.
- A 'learn-by-doing' approach is being adopted to update tactics and procedures rapidly.
- Field Manual 3-0 was updated with new imperatives to counter persistent drone threats.
- Lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian War are being incorporated into Army doctrine.
- The Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate and Army Centers of Excellence are key players in this process.
Why It Matters
This shift towards rapid, experience-based doctrinal updates enhances the Army's ability to adapt to evolving drone warfare tactics. Achieving 'drone dominance' is crucial for maintaining a strategic edge in modern conflicts where UAS play a significant role.
Army adapts doctrine force-wide, integrating drone lessons to achieve ‘drone dominance' | Article | The United States Army
Army adapts doctrine force-wide, integrating drone lessons to achieve ‘drone dominance'
By U.S. Army Communications and Outreach OfficeMarch 30, 2026
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U.S. Army Spc. Benjamin Bell, left, and Sgt. Mackenzie Jones, snipers with the Long Range Surveillance Section, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Washington National Guard, launch a drone during combined training event Raven Focus at Yakima Training Center, Wash., July 20, 2025. The 81st SBCT's LRS section incorporated drone technology and surveillance tactics in preparation for their transition into a multifunctional reconnaissance company. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon) VIEW ORIGINAL
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army is implementing a force-wide overhaul of its operational doctrine, integrating lessons from the widespread use of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) to maintain its edge in modern warfare.
The effort supports the Army's goal to achieve "drone dominance" and shifts how the service develops its tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Instead of relying on a traditional years-long process, the Army now fields new drone capabilities to Soldiers iteratively, allowing their real-world experience to guide rapid doctrinal updates.
“Drone dominance is a War Department priority,” said Richard Creed, director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate(CADD). “Most efforts this past year focused on fielding systems and learning to use them. As operational forces gain expertise, we can better determine what the doctrine should say.”
This "learn-by-doing" approach is evident across the Army’s doctrinal library. The service's capstone operations manual, Field Manual 3-0, was updated in March 2025. Updates include new operational imperatives, such as “protect against constant observation” and “make contact with sensors, unmanned systems, or the smallest element possible,” to address persistent drone threats, said Robert Ault, deputy director, CADD. It also incorporates new vignettes from the Russo-Ukrainian War to ensure lessons from current conflicts inform future leader development.
Army doctrine is developed through a collaborative structure. The CADD at Fort Leavenworth typically addresses topics broadly, while the Army Centers of Excellence (CoE) address specific details. This flexible structure enables lessons to flow both top-down and bottom-up.
Creed noted, "When developers create new or updated ATPs [Army Training Publication], these publications prompt us to reexamine broader field manual concepts," emphasizing the process’s dynamic nature.
The Army’s operational and doctrinal approach balances offensive and defensive capabilities. As an example,