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The U.S. Army is taking its biggest strategic swing since the Cold War, launching a $36 billion
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plan to equip every active duty division with a thousand drones, according to a report from
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The Wall Street Journal. The initiative, called the Army Transformation Initiative, is designed to prepare for large-scale wars, not counterinsurgency fights
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Army officials say they took notes directly from Ukraine's battlefield use of drones
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studying how low-cost aircrafts are being used for surveillance, strikes, and supply drops
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In one exercise this year in Germany, soldiers tested drones in freezing conditions
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with batteries dying mid-mission, a problem not seen in earlier trainings. To fund it, the Army isn't asking for more money
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Instead, it's slashing legacy programs. Procurement of Humvees and light tanks is being phased out
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Some Apache helicopters will be retired. civilian jobs are also on the chopping block The plan still needs congressional sign but it has support from Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth and Vice President J Vance It part of a broader strategic reset
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The Marine Corps has gone in a different direction, dropping tanks in favor of small
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fast missile teams to counter China in the Pacific. But the Army is betting big on a
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combination of modern tech and traditional firepower, including long-range missiles and tilt rotor aircraft. Electronic warfare is also getting an upgrade. The Pentagon is investing
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in counter drone and jamming technologies, including systems tested jointly with Germany
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earlier this year. But one of the biggest challenges remains securing U.S.-made parts
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Chinese components dominate global drone supply chains, and the Army says it needs domestic
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manufacturers to step up. Three brigades are already using the new drones, and the rest of
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the Army could be fully equipped in less than two years. For more of our unbiased straight-fact reporting
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