US military advances autonomous drone integration across land and maritime domains
The U.S. military is expanding autonomous drone capabilities, testing new unmanned systems, creating dedicated command structures, and evaluating maritime ISR platforms.
At Fort Bragg, U.S. Army personnel conducted tests using Bumblebee V2 small unmanned aerial systems during Project Sandhills 2.0 to evaluate autonomous obstacle-breaching capabilities. The exercises reflect a broader strategic pivot within the military toward uncrewed systems and tactical mobility, as demonstrated at the AUSA 2026 defense exposition.
To support this shift, the U.S. Army redesignated its Futures and Concepts Command as the Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM), establishing dedicated robotics military specialties. Concurrently, defense contractor Heaviside Industries unveiled Tyr, a lightweight multiwarhead loitering munition utilizing Nammo warheads. In maritime operations, the U.S. Navy is evaluating General Atomics' MQ-9B SeaGuardian to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for the 7th Fleet, aiming to relieve crewed aircraft of routine monitoring duties.
Sources: Defense News, Breaking Defense, Army Technology, Shephard Media, Global Defence Corp.
Sources
- Shephard Media — AUSA 2026: New multiwarhead loitering munition enters increasingly competitive market
- Global Defence Corp — US Navy Considers MQ-9B SeaGuardian for Maritime ISR Missions.
- Breaking Defense — LaNeve ‘redesignates’ Army’s Futures and Concepts Command as new FASCOM autonomy command
- Defense News — How autonomous weapons are changing the way brigades fight
- Army Technology — AUSA 2026: heavy armour out, drones and mobility in
Earlier coverage
- Oct 13, 2026, 11:30 PM UTCUS Army establishes autonomous command amid broader Western drone expansion