{"id":45787,"date":"2024-12-26T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2024\/12\/26\/this-army-unit-is-the-first-to-field-new-company-and-battalion-drones\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:27:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:27:55","slug":"this-army-unit-is-the-first-to-field-new-company-and-battalion-drones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/unmanned\/2024\/12\/26\/this-army-unit-is-the-first-to-field-new-company-and-battalion-drones\/","title":{"rendered":"This Army unit is the first to field new company and battalion drones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division, which is currently deployed in Romania, recently became the first Army unit to field the service\u2019s newest reconnaissance drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 317th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, out of Fort Johnson, Louisiana, employed the Skydio and GhostX systems during training operations at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, according to an Army release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new drones fit different mission profiles at the tactical level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Skydio X10D drone is a short-range recon aircraft that can fly up to 5 kilometers and stay aloft for approximately 30 minutes, according to the release<\/a>. Typically, the Skydio is deployed by infantry and scout platoons on dismounted patrols, providing soldiers with a better snapshot of their immediate area during mission planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GhostX<\/a>, made by Anduril, goes a bit farther. It can fly up to 15 kilometers and stay in the air for an hour. This platform is geared toward a company commander\u2019s needs in a larger area of operation.<\/p>\n\n\n