New US Army Course Trains Soldiers to 3D Print FPV Drones

The U.S. Army is training soldiers to 3D print drone components as part of its new Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course (UALC). Headed by the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE), UALC trains military personnel in producing, maintaining, and operating small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including first-person view (FPV) drones.

The three-week course seeks to accelerate America’s drone-warfare capabilities and prevent the nation from falling behind foreign adversaries like Russia and China. “This course is a catch-up,” said UALC director Captain Rachel Martin. “We’re behind globally, and this is our aggressive attempt to close that gap.” UALC aims to provide a pathway for participants to build their own unit-level drone program, scaling knowledge throughout the Army.

Based at Fort Rucker, Alabama, the program trains soldiers to build and repair drone components with additive manufacturing technology. Soldiers learn to operate resin, filament, and carbon fiber 3D printers, and to design and modify parts using CAD software and STL files. UALC also plans to create a centralized file repository that students can access and use to 3D print drones after returning to their units.

“Eventually, we want students to build and test their own FPV bodies,” commented Major Wolf Amacker, who heads the AVCOE Directorate of Training and Doctrine UAS and Tactics Branch. “We’re teaching and learning from the force on what’s possible and how to sustain these systems in the field.”

U.S. Army Introduces New FPV Training Program

The U.S. Army’s new training program builds a foundation for standardized UAS use across military functions, enhancing reconnaissance, fires, and maneuver operations. Maj. Amacker said UALC’s goal is to “train the most people, the quickest, on FPV systems that are having a real impact on the battlefield.”

The program starts with classroom instruction, where soldiers develop FPV flight skills using off-the-shelf drones and simulation software. After 20-25 hours of simulation, they advance to live flight exercises at the Army’s Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) site. Here, soldiers develop fire support integration, learning how to adjust fire using drone video feeds.

Currently, 28 students from across the Army are enrolled in the course, including infantry soldiers, cavalry scouts, 15W and 15E aviation personnel, and warrant officers. Many participants are reportedly self-taught hobbyists or informal drone experts. The course aims to empower soldiers to return to their units as “trainers and innovators.”

Observers from the Maneuver and Fires Centers of Excellence are assessing the UALC and providing feedback for implementation. The Army also expects operational units to create their own basic qualification programs while Fort Rucker becomes the hub for advanced UAS training. Additionally. It also plans to develop a mobile training package (MTP) that will allow units to conduct basic FPV training independently.

By integrating 3D printing into soldier training, the UALC will adapt its curriculum to meet evolving technological and tactical needs, ensuring U.S. forces remain at the forefront of unmanned systems employment.

“This is constantly changing,” Amacker said. “We’re building something that can grow with the force.”

U.S. Accelerates Drone 3D Printing Efforts

This new training program is part of the U.S. military’s growing adoption of additive manufacturing to enhance its drone capabilities.

During Agile Spirit 25, a multinational training exercise in Eastern Europe, soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade deployed 3D printers to build FPV drones in the field. Hawkeye Platoon, part of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, led the effort. The unit fabricated, assembled, and maintained quadcopter drones on-site, combining printed parts with off-the-shelf components to meet operational needs.

Brigade-level funding supports Hawkeye Platoon’s drone operations, including the purchase of C100 drones from Performance Drone Works (PDW). Soldiers 3D print many of the other FPVs in the fleet and design custom payloads for specific battlefield needs. This field-based approach cuts both cost and production time. A recent Department of Defense press release noted that soldiers can build a drone in just a few hours for $400 to $500 each.

Top Photo: Soldiers and instructors in the inaugural Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course (UALC) at Fort Rucker prepare to launch a small unmanned aerial system during their training at the range. Photo via 2nd Lt. Veronica Jordan

Source: 3D Printing Industry