Photo By Staff Sgt. Cornelius McLean | Allen, assigned to the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), is staged...... read more read more
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — When Staff Sgt. Tyler Allen identified an opportunity to enhance the Psychological Operations mission and capabilities, he began researching, designing and testing a custom unmanned aircraft system. Allen’s self-made drone provides PSYOP Soldiers with a flexible, modular and affordable capability tailored to operational requirements.
"I saw a need for cheap, repairable and easy-to-use drones at the company and battalion level," Allen said. "I thought there had to be a better way to do it."
Allen joined the Army in 2020 after previously serving in the Navy and has been passionate about aviation for most of his life. His experience flying remote-controlled aircraft and military unmanned systems gave him insight into both the strengths and limitations of existing drone platforms.
Recognizing opportunities to better support Psychological Operations missions, Allen began independently researching drone design and studying how emerging technologies could be adapted to meet operational needs. Much of the project's early design work took shape during off-duty hours, where Allen researched aircraft systems, refined computer-aided designs and identified the capabilities he wanted the platform to provide. He continued developing and testing prototypes, steadily improving the design through repeated experimentation and user feedback.
"It was a lot of testing, a lot of crashes and a lot of mistakes," Allen said. "But that was part of the fun." Although Allen has no formal engineering background, he relied on extensive research, trial and error, and feedback from teammates and technical experts throughout the development process. Each redesign helped refine the aircraft into a more capable and reliable platform.
Unlike many commercially available drones designed primarily for reconnaissance, Allen's aircraft was built with Psychological Operations missions in mind. The platform's modular architecture allows drone operators to rapidly configure the drone for different mission sets by integrating mission-specific payloads, providing flexibility for evolving operational requirements.
The aircraft is designed to support a variety of PSYOP capabilities, including the aerial dissemination of printed information products, loudspeaker operations and other information-related payloads that help influence audiences while allowing Soldiers to operate from greater stand-off distances. Its adaptable design also enables units to integrate future payloads as mission requirements evolve, giving commanders additional options to support information advantage across the operational environment.
Allen also prioritized simplicity and sustainability. The drone uses commercially available components that are easy to replace, allowing Soldiers to repair, maintain and modify the aircraft at the unit level without relying on specialized equipment or lengthy supply chains. The result is a platform that can be rapidly returned to service and adapted to meet mission demands.
"Because I saw the need," Allen said. "I wanted something that drone operators could repair themselves, customize themselves and use without needing extensive training."
Beyond the aircraft itself, Allen hopes the project demonstrates the value of innovation at the tactical level. Soldiers who work closest to operational challenges are often best positioned to identify practical solutions, and individual initiative can lead to capabilities that improve readiness across the force.
"I just want this to be another option on the table," Allen said. "Something Soldiers can build, use and adapt to their mission."
Allen's project reflects the Army's growing culture of innovation, where creativity and problem-solving are encouraged at every level. By identifying an operational need and developing a practical solution, he has demonstrated how one Soldier's initiative can strengthen the capabilities available to Psychological Operations units and contribute to the Regiment's ability to compete and win in an increasingly complex information environment.
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2026 15:09 |
| Story ID: | 571776 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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