{"id":5193,"date":"2026-08-04T00:12:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T00:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=5193"},"modified":"2026-08-04T00:12:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T00:12:28","slug":"fort-ruckers-unmanned-advanced-lethality-course-ramps-up-tactical-drone-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=5193","title":{"rendered":"Fort Rucker’s Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course Ramps Up Tactical Drone Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, is pushing forward with a series of updates aimed at strengthening tactical proficiency and meeting student expectations, said Army Staff Sgt. Mario Rostran, the course\u2019s noncommissioned officer in charge, and Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Gatta, the course manager.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Rostran said the leadership team is focused on refining instruction in response to student feedback to ensure the course delivers the advanced-level rigor it promises.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re continuing to improve the course,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re taking comments as we go and making sure [that] we\u2019re meeting the standards students expect. The goal is to make this the advanced course it claims to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working alongside the team, Gatta is helping expand hands-on training and strengthen tactical application throughout the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most significant update is increasing the amount of physical, kinetic engagements from five to 12,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have been working to refine the overall course to run smoother and provide the most up-to-date data.\u201d<\/p>\n

To meet the demand for advanced instruction, the course is shifting to a more tactical framework. Gatta noted the class will complete a culminating exercise this week at the drone training facility in Daleville, Alabama, marking a new experience for the students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis exercise will demonstrate a more real-world tactical environment and incorporate a close-quarters battle level of training, whereas previous emphasis has been heavily placed on outdoor live flights,\u201d he said. \u201cOur current goal is to make the training more tactical in nature. I believe we have several solid plans to build on moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

During this iteration of the course, students conducted live-engagement training using a purpose-built attributable system, the Shank 1.0, and C-4, a versatile plastic explosive. The event allowed students to apply lessons learned by flying the system, coordinating altitude and executing tactical employment against a designated target.<\/p>\n

Army Sgt. 1st Class Riley Watts, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, spent months trying to enroll in the course. He said attending has given him a clearer view of how unmanned aircraft systems fit into the future of Army aviation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great course to keep you relevant in today\u2019s force,\u201d Watts said. \u201cSeeing how UAS is being implemented and utilized in today\u2019s Army is eye-opening, and it shows you how important it is to understand these systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Matthew Baldwin, a civil engineering major at the U.S. Military Academy, is attending to take tactical drone employment strategies back to the academy\u2019s future applied systems and tactics team. His leaders pushed to send two cadets to the course to expand their understanding of drone employment and to share that knowledge when they return.<\/p>\n

Baldwin, who hopes to commission into the air defense artillery branch, said the course offers a perspective that will be important to future Army operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the big questions is how to counter drones effectively,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re talking about sending a very expensive rocket to take out a cheap drone. Understanding drones from the operator\u2019s side, how they fly, what they look for, helps you understand how to counter them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although he arrived with limited tactical flying experience, he said the hands-on instruction has significantly boosted his confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know how to tactically fly. It\u2019s a completely different flying style,\u201d Baldwin said. \u201cI feel better flying them, and now we\u2019re trying to develop a training program to help build other pilots on our team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond flying, Baldwin highlighted the value of the course\u2019s mission-planning segments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve really appreciated the planning side, [the military decision-making process], troop-leading procedures, what goes into reconnaissance,\u201d he said. \u201cI hadn\u2019t learned a lot of that yet. Going into my [fundamentals of small-unit operations] class and eventually into the Army, my knowledge base is definitely better now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course runs six times per fiscal year, providing recurring opportunities for soldiers seeking advanced UAS training. Upcoming course dates are Sept. 14-Oct. 2, and Nov. 2-20.<\/p>\n

By Leslie Herlick, Aviation Center of Excellence<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, is pushing forward with a series of updates aimed at strengthening tactical proficiency and meeting student expectations, said Army Staff Sgt. Mario Rostran, the course\u2019s noncommissioned officer in charge, and Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Gatta, the course manager. Rostran said the leadership team is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-army"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5193"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5195,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5193\/revisions\/5195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}