The U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division has formed a new unit focused on using drones offensively on the battlefield, marking a significant milestone in the division’s storied history.
The division on Dec. 16 established Fox Company, 1-10 Attack Battalion, under its 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. The new formation will be tasked with using unmanned aerial systems and launched effects to engage enemies on the battlefield.
The unit, based out of Fort Drum, New York, will focus exclusively on offensive action and provide “a group of highly trained professionals who will hunt and kill our enemies in the division’s deep area,” Lt. Col. Chris Stoinoff, the commander of 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, announced at the unit’s formation ceremony.
“These robots can be equipped for a multitude of missions: to conduct reconnaissance, to act as decoys, to jam enemy communications or to deliver lethal strikes,” Stoinoff said.
“By integrating Fox Company’s recon forces with the overwhelming firepower of three Apache companies, 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment will decisively win battles for the 10th Mountain Division.”
The newly formed company will also work alongside the division’s innovation unit to develop and produce in-house drone components.
The creation of 10th Mountain’s offensive tactical drone unit follows the Pentagon’s formation this year of the JIATF-401 task force to boost drone defense abilities.
Other recent unmanned initiatives by the U.S. military include the formation of international unmanned system strike units, such as Task Force Scorpion Strike in the Middle East and an MQ-9 Reaper drone unit in South Korea.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
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