15 October 2025

The U.S. Army is watching the conflict in Ukraine—and learning lessons—as it seeks to modernize resources for its warriors.

"We envision a future where every infantryman will have a drone with them," says Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. "We’re doing essentially a call to arms where we are ingesting the lessons being learned in Ukraine. Ukraine was able to take out almost $10 billion worth of Russian equipment with $100,000 worth of drones. When you meet with our lead units like the Ranger Regiment or Delta Force, they envision drones being a core part of every action they do."

Driscoll shared the Army's vision at the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington. One of the Army's largest events for defense executives and Amry leaders, as well as the showcasing of cutting-edge battlefield technology, this year's AUSA was nearly scuttled due to the government shutdown. However, AUSA donated $1 million to ensure travel and other costs didn't prevent Army officers from around the globe from attending the conference and discussing  modernization strategies.

The Army is also developing defensive networks—populated by sensors and drone interceptors—to guard key assets from aerial threats.

"Drones and counter-drones are different sides of the same coin," explained Driscoll. "You can’t really defend against one without being an expert in the other, and future soldiers will need to be proficient at both. We’re using new technologies such as drones to create a sensing layer that, paired with interceptors, will essentially allow us to build mini ‘Iron Domes’ over protected assets."

Driscoll also reported that the Army's  "drone-pervasive" vision is part of a broad modernization campaign that includes AI, industrial reform, and energy resilience.

Watch Dan Driscoll's AUSA Address