The Army shut down a specialized drone unit. Legislators want to know why.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing the Army to explain why it is shuttering a specialized drone battalion less than a year after establishing it, a move that comes as conflicts across the world have become increasingly defined by unmanned aerial systems and electronic warfare.

The 600-member “Unmanned Assault Battalion,” created as part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade , was charged with learning tactics and skills from Ukraine’s more-than four-year fight against Russia and applying them to the U.S. military. In a letter , legislators expressed concern that eliminating the battalion was another sign of the Defense Department’s “uneven and inconsistent” support to Europe and Ukraine, and they questioned how the U.S. would continue to learn drone warfare from the Ukraine theater.

“We have deep concerns that eliminating this specialized drone unit will limit our ability to learn from allies, particularly the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and hinder our efforts to modernize drone warfare at the speed necessary to compete on the modern battlefield,” Sens. Jeanne, Shahee, Thom Tillis, Angus King and Rep. Michael Turner, said in the Sept. 1 letter, provided by Sen. Shaheen’s office.

“This specialized unit was a prudent response in a moment when the character of warfare is changing faster than a conventional formation’s ability to adapt,” the lawmakers said after asking if the decision to close the unit was made by the Army or based on guidance from Defense Department leadership. They asked for an explanation by Sept. 21.

The unit is expected to return to its airborne infantry mission after participating in the multinational Exercise Saber Junction this month.

In the letter, addressed to Acting Army Chief of Staff. Gen. Christopher LaNeve and outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, legislators said they understood the move to be a result of Gen. LaNeve’s “back to basics” message , where he ordered the force to focus on its primary combat mission.

The Army has seen a massive leadership shakeup as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired over a dozen top leaders. Former Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Randy George, who championed drone innovation through his Transformation in Contact initiative, was ousted at Hegseth’s behest. He has not yet nominated a successor.

Driscoll, who supported modernization measures and acquisition reform, resigned on short notice this week amid friction with Hegseth. His resignation further thins the Army’s top ranks as the country remains locked into a war with Iran that has now stretched over six months amid missile stockpile shortages and extended deployments.

Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

一个由两党议员组成的团体正在敦促陆军解释，为什么在成立不到一年后就关闭一个专门的无人机营。与此同时，世界各地的冲突越来越以无人机系统和电子战为特征。

这支由600名成员组成的“无人突击营”隶属于第173空降旅，其任务是从乌克兰与俄罗斯长达四年多的战争中学习战术和技能，并将其应用于美军。在一封信中，议员们表达了担忧，认为裁撤该营是国防部对欧洲和乌克兰支持“不均衡且前后矛盾”的又一例证，并质疑美国将如何继续从乌克兰战场学习无人机作战。

“我们深感担忧，取消这支专业无人机部队将限制我们向盟友，特别是乌克兰武装部队学习的能力，并阻碍我们以在现代战场上竞争所需的速度实现无人机作战现代化的努力，”参议员珍妮·沙希、汤姆·蒂利斯、安格斯·金和众议员迈克尔·特纳在9月1日的一封信中表示，该信由参议员沙希的办公室提供。

议员们在询问关闭该部队的决定是由陆军做出还是基于国防部领导层的指示后表示：“在战争性质变化速度超过常规部队适应能力的当下，组建这支特种部队是审慎的应对措施。”他们要求在9月21日前得到解释。

该部队在本月参加完多国联合军刀演习后，预计将返回空降步兵部队执行任务。

在致代理陆军参谋长克里斯托弗·拉内夫将军和即将卸任的陆军部长丹·德里斯科尔的信中，议员们表示，他们认为此举是拉内夫将军“回归基本”信息的结果，他命令部队专注于其主要作战任务。

美国陆军领导层发生大规模人事变动，国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯解雇了十几名高级官员。曾大力推动无人机创新、推行“接触转型”计划的前陆军参谋长兰迪·乔治将军，也在赫格塞斯的授意下被解职。赫格塞斯尚未提名继任者。

德里斯科尔支持现代化措施和采购改革，本周因与赫格塞斯关系紧张而突然辞职。他的辞职进一步削弱了陆军高层，而此时美国仍深陷与伊朗的战争泥潭，这场战争已持续六个多月，导弹库存短缺，部队部署时间也延长。

伊芙·桑普森是一名记者，也是一名前陆军军官。她曾报道过世界各地的冲突，为《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》和美联社撰稿。