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Utah's 19th Special Forces Group Fields Next-Generation Drone Munitions at Camp Williams
Published: March 26, 2026
By Keith Garner, Utah National Guard
BLUFFDALE, Utah — In the rugged terrain of Camp Williams, a quiet revolution in small-unit lethality is taking shape. The Utah Army National Guard's 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) — one of the Army's most highly trained special operations units — is at the leading edge of innovation.
From March 16–26, elite soldiers from the 19th SFG partnered with Army developers to master two of the service's most advanced drone platforms: the C-100 and Ghost-X unmanned aircraft systems. The training culminated in a live-fire test of the Small Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) munition, a next-generation strike capability that uses advanced onboard sensors and intelligent software to detect, classify, and engage only its intended target, significantly reducing collateral damage in complex environments.
The New Equipment Training (NET) began at the Aaron Butler Readiness Center before moving to the field at Camp Williams, bringing together the operators who will carry these systems into harm's way with the engineers who built them — experts from the Program Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM-UAS) and the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM). That direct collaboration is deliberate, and according to those involved, it makes all the difference.
"Any time we can train directly with the developers, provide feedback, and solve problems in real time, it's a huge advantage," said a senior noncommissioned officer assigned to the unit. "This training allows us to master the systems here at home, refine them quickly, and ensure our teams can operate them instinctively in high-stress environments. It gives our operators the tools to remain among the most lethal and technologically advanced forces on the battlefield."
What makes the C-100 and Ghost-X particularly powerful is their flexibility. Both platforms are central to the Army's Small Unmanned Aircraft System Medium-Range Reconnaissance strategy and feature modular payloads that can be reconfigured within minutes. A drone conducting surveillance — scanning terrain with advanced sensors to identify and classify targets — can be rapidly converted into a precision strike asset armed with the SPEAR munition, compressing the critical time between locating a threat and eliminating it.
"The ability to go from classroom instruction to a live drop in a matter of days is a game-changer," said a team leader with the 19th Special Forces Group. "Having PM-UAS and DEVCOM here lets us give direct feedback that will shape the future of these systems. More importantly, it builds confidence — we know this equipment works because we've pushed it to its limits and seen the results firsthand."
The lessons learned at Camp Williams won't stay in Utah. The tactics, techniques, and procedures validated during training will be briefed to senior military leadership during Exercise African Lion 26 in Morocco, helping shape how U.S. forces and partner nations will fight and win on future battlefields.
By putting tomorrow's technology in the hands of today's warfighters, the Utah National Guard is ensuring it remains at the cutting edge of Army innovation — and ready when it matters most.
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| Date Taken: | 03.21.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2026 13:54 |
| Story ID: | 566141 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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