![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2-2.JPG-1.jpg\")
Indeed, the technology can be fickle, King pointed out: Drones can overheat in the tropical climate, soldiers have to lug extra equipment around, jungles are often too thick for FPVs, and recharging batteries is another challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet King listed three things his brigade gains from participating in Balikatan: becoming familiar with an environment the soldiers might one day fight in; learning from partners; and rehearsing how to fight together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Underscoring their modernization push, these Hawaii-based soldiers were carrying the latest M7 assault rifles, and new M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISV) provided them rapid maneuverability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lightning Lab innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Elsewhere, Lightning Labs illustrates how the 25th Infantry Division is prioritizing innovation and iteration. This cell was designed to accelerate the adoption of new technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kestrel \u201ckiller\u201d FPV quadcopter, measuring five inches across and capable of swarming, is one such fruit. CW3 Aaron Dunson, Operations Officer of Lightning Labs, said the Kestrel is designed for mass production. The aim is to get them into the hands of soldiers so they can identify their capabilities and limitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lightning Labs is also developing a high-speed drone interceptor. In addition, the lab was testing a containerized solar-panel micro grid to generate electricity, a quieter alternative to diesel generators. Dunson described it as \u201ca very viable solution\u201d in the Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shared that his cell is covering capability gaps while industry races to catch up. \u201cOur piece of this pie is to identify the opportunity and then present it to the subject matter experts within the division and say, \u2018Is this usable?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forge ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Another innovation appeared last year \u2013 the Forge \u2013 an INDOPACOM initiative where a dozen Army and Marine personnel run an expeditionary manufacturing capability based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. It is armed with deployable equipment like industrial-grade 3D printers (polymer and metal), milling machines and 3D scanners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Forge comes up with rapid solutions. During Balikatan, for example, a road grader from an engineering unit was disabled due to broken bolts. Instead of waiting ten weeks for spares to arrive from the U.S., the Forge reverse-engineered and manufactured them in six hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Likewise, soldiers complained of broken bipods on their new M50 machine guns, so the unit came up with a 3D-printed solution to fix that too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Forge\u2019s services have been in demand throughout Balikatan. It had 36 projects on the go, with twelve completed by halfway through the exercise. One of them was producing 300 Kestrel drone frames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Forge saves soldiers time and money. CW2 Kevin Ton, officer in charge of the Forge, said it had saved $23,000 and a cumulative 96 months in waiting time for spare parts in the first week of Balikatan alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With multiple security challenges in Asia-Pacific \u2013 high among them being Chinese belligerence \u2013 there is a need for the Army to adapt quickly and to speedily field the latest technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 25th Infantry Division epitomizes this rapid change that United States Army Pacific is undergoing. Another example is that it is the Army\u2019s only infantry division to possess HIMARS rocket launchers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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