Alabama Military Base Chosen for US Army Autonomous Weapons Program
Fort Rucker will be the U.S. Army’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Autonomy Center of Excellence, according to an announcement Tuesday.
The move is part of the Army’s new initiative to press testing and integration of autonomous systems, building on technology from manned and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft.
The decision comes a day after War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new four-star military command for unmanned and autonomous warfare, according to Military Times.
Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve said Fort Rucker can “bring together warfighting experts and cutting-edge commercial capabilities to test technology the way we intend to fight it.”
Sen. Katie Britt praised the announcement. Earlier this year, Fort Rucker opened a new training facility and barracks which will be used to house and train more than 300 soldiers going through advanced individual training.
“Fort Rucker has long been the beating heart of Army Aviation, and today’s announcement makes clear it will lead the Army into the next era of warfare,” Britt said in a statement.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Rep. Barry Moore also released statements praising the move. Tuberville said there is “no better home for this pioneering facility than Fort Rucker,” while Moore said the designation was a “major win for Alabama and our national defense.”
The decision was part of a broader move by the Army that LeNeve said goes beyond drones. Among concepts being tested at other bases are autonomous watercraft, armored reconnaissance, breaching, and aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
“We’ve got to change our approach from bolting on technology to rethinking how we fight,” LaNeve said.
“Technology doesn’t fight; Soldiers do. Our job is to get them the best kit; theirs is to make it lethal. It’s that magic between industry, leadership, and Soldiers that keeps our Army ahead of anyone looking to do America harm.”
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