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US Army unmanned systems and procurement expansion

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2026-10-18 22:51 UTC → 2026-10-21 01:24 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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.

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