Photo By Maj. Brian Sutherland | Staff Sgt. Kristopher Garbea, from the unmanned aerial system platoon, 1st Squadron,...... read more read more
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HOHENFELS, Germany – The U.S. Army took drone warfare to the next level this week with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s (2CR) multinational exercise Saber Junction 25 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC). Soldiers from within the formation flew hundreds of reconnaissance and attack drones to fight the opposition forces (OPFOR) and used these new systems to enhance their warfighting capabilities. This ranged from security reconnaissance missions to targeted strikes against enemy armored vehicles.
“When we have a mission, it only takes about 30 seconds to get the drone up,” said Sgt. Koby Jones, the drone operator from the unmanned aerial system (UAS) platoon, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. “We just plug the battery in and get it up and flying right there.” The speed in which military drones are employed is crucial for their operational effectiveness, and when a drone is required to be used, the Soldiers need to be ready at a moment’s notice.
This past year the 2nd Cavalry Regiment began a transformative process starting in February where they restructured their formations to have organic UAS sections that specialized in building, flying, and employing drones into their tactical formation. Soldiers from across the formation were selected on how to fly drones, how to build the drone systems, and how to repair them in the field. Each Soldier received between 200-300hrs of drone training where they learned how to fly the systems in simulated environments and in real-world scenarios. They also spent time in a drone lab, 3D printing and designing their own purpose-built attritable systems (PBAS) drones, and participated in numerous drone exercises this past year, dubbed ‘Project Flytrap’.
During the exercise, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment relies on commercial off the shelf (COTS) Skydio X10 drones as well as purpose built attritable systems (PBAS) that they built themselves for Saber Junction 25. “We fly Skydio, PBAS and repeaters multiple at a time,” said Staff Sgt. Kristopher Garbea. “This allows us to operate the drones in a ten-kilometer bubble around where we’re currently at to kill or deny the enemy.” By doing so, the two drone systems work in conjunction with one another, where the larger Skydio drone observes targets, relays the information to the PBAS drone operator, who then tracks down and attempts to destroy the enemy vehicle or position.
“During live fires it's one directional and you’re hitting targets that are only in front of you,” said Garbea.” Now during the force-on-force exercise, it’s a 360-degree surveillance of friendly and enemy forces moving throughout the battlespace and constantly moving to avoid detection in the training area. This has caused the 2nd Cavalry Regiment to rethink how it emplaces its artillery, vehicle and communication assets. If their systems are not well camouflaged or hidden, the enemy drones can easily target their positions and call for fire to destroy their position.
On the other hand, drone operators from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment can also target enemy forces quicker, and send grid coordinates back to the command posts to relay grid locations to speed up the sensor to shooter kill chain. “I did Saber Junction last year as well, and what's different now with the drones is that I don't have to wait for the vehicles to move over the horizon before I strike it,” said Garbea. “I can go several terrain features away and strike it without ever having to move from my position.” Before Soldiers had to wait to identify targets to appear over the horizon and engage them with Javelin missiles, indirect fire or direct fire weapon systems. Now they can identify targets before they are visible and strike them before any of their formations are required to engage the enemy. This makes them more lethal and faster than, and it requires the individual less time and effort to track down and find the enemy.
Saber Junction 25 has showcased the transformative role of drones by 2CR during defensive and offensive military operations with their ability to quickly observe, identify and target enemy forces. The integration of these unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the exercise not only improved 2CR’s reconnaissance abilities but also provided quicker sensor-to-shooter interface. This sped up how quickly friendly and enemy forces engaged one another and required leaders to make decisions more rapidly during the force-on-force scenario.
As drone technology continues to advance, it will continue to redefine the landscape of warfare and military engagements. Exercises like Saber Junction 25 ensures that U.S. Army forces remain lethal and prepared for future conflicts and the technologically complex nature of the modern battlefield.
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.10.2025 16:55 |
| Story ID: | 547753 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Revolutionizing Warfare: 2CR Drones at Saber Junction 25, by MAJ Brian Sutherland, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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