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3 clusters · 6 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated

US Army unmanned systems and procurement expansion

Overview

The US Army is advancing its capabilities in unmanned systems and counter-drone technology through both technical testing and international procurement partnerships.

In Morocco, the Army is accelerating the testing of counter-drone systems and high-altitude surveillance balloons. Lt. Gen. John Rafferty described the use of high-altitude balloons as “game-changing,” noting their potential to serve as surveillance tools, communications hubs, or platforms for drone swarms. A capability event is scheduled for spring 2027 in Tan-Tan to focus on protecting military command posts from small unmanned aircraft.

To support these efforts, the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) has partnered with the Army’s Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate. This collaboration aims to utilize Morocco’s diverse terrain and uncongested airspace to test emerging unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and validate force protection solutions within a 180-day window.

To streamline the acquisition of such technologies, eight nations—Albania, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Japan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Panama—have joined US Army platforms designed to modernize the Foreign Military Sales process. These platforms utilize an e-commerce-style ‘FMS Fast Lane’ to allow for the acquisition of pre-authorized, standardized systems, which Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle stated could reduce procurement timelines from months to days.

Entities

Morocco · Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate · U.S. Army · US Army · Adam Telle

Timeline

  1. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    U.S. Army SETAF-AF announces drone technology partnership and voter assistance

    U.S. Army SETAF-AF is accelerating counter-drone technology testing in Morocco and providing voter registration assistance to soldiers in Italy.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    U.S. Army platforms for drone acquisition joined by eight nations

    Eight nations, including Morocco and Canada, joined U.S. Army platforms for rapid drone and anti-drone system procurement at the AUSA exposition, alongside presentations from firms like SAS Technology.

  3. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    US Army accelerates counter-drone and high-altitude balloon testing

    The US Army is accelerating the deployment of counter-drone technology and exploring high-altitude balloons for surveillance and drone launches, with testing scheduled in Morocco.

Sources

bhaskarlive.in · defensa.com · dvidshub.net · gulf-insider.com · nemesishd.gr · soldiersystems.net

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history