Saturday, June 7, 2025

Is It Time For US Drone Command? June 7, 2025

Locator: 48712DRONES.

The trifecta: 

  • presidents are change agents
  • Trump created US Space Command in his first term in office
  • Ukraine's "Operation Spiderweb"

Ask ChatGPT if it's time for the US to have a drone command like space command, and this is what you get, along with comments and graphics by the author of the blog:

You’re raising a timely and increasingly echoed point—many experts and analysts argue that the U.S. military does need a unified Drone Command or Unmanned Systems Command, similar in scope to Space Command or Cyber Command. Here’s a breakdown of why such a command is being discussed, and what it might look like:

Name: United States Unmanned Systems Command (USUSC), or Drone Command
  • HQ Location: Possibly at an existing joint base or in a drone-development hub like Creech AFB (Nevada) or Eglin AFB (Florida). My vote: Creech AFB, Nevada
  • my suggestion: four "divisions" --
    • airborne: Creech AFB, Nevada -- 45 minutes / miles northwest of Nellis AFB / Las Vegas
    • maritime: underwater drones; 
    • ground (humanoid robots): MacDill AFB, FL (home of Special Ops); alternate US Army, such as Fort Irwin, California.
    • research and development: 
      • air: Grand Forks AFB, ND
      • maritime:
      • ground:
Scope:
  • UAVs (airborne drones)
  • UUVs (unmanned undersea vehicles)
  • USVs (surface sea drones)
  • UGVs (ground robots)
Mandates:
  • doctrine and policy development
  • training and certification
  • acquisition and modernization
  • joint/combined operational planning
Challenges to Creating Drone Command
  • turf battles: each service wants to retain control of its own drone systems.
  • doctrinal differences: roles vary—Army sees them as ISR assets, Air Force uses them for strategic strike, Navy for mine-hunting or maritime ISR.
  • budget constraints: creating a new command is expensive and politically sensitive.
Who’s Talking About It?
  • several think tanks (CSIS, RAND, CNAS) have recommended exploring a unified drone command.
  • some retired generals and defense policymakers have suggested it’s inevitable—just a matter of when, not if.

From the homepage of Creech AFB this past week:




For SecDef Hegseth: the Star Trek episode with the most focus on drones is likely "Drone" from Star Trek: Voyager, Season 5, Episode 2

The Star Trek: Voyager episode titled "Drone," Season 5, Episode 2, is widely regarded as having the most focus on drones. This episode features a unique situation where a transporter accident results in the creation of an advanced Borg drone, leading to a storyline centered around Seven of Nine interacting with and teaching the drone, nicknamed "One". The episode explores themes of individuality, technology, and the complexities of the Borg Collective, showcasing the nature and abilities of this advanced drone. 

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