US Army Lets Soldiers Build Their Own Drones After Ukraine Lessons

The Army's new Best Drone Warfighter competition encourages soldiers to design, build, and 3D print their own drone systems.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The US Army held its first annual Best Drone Warfighter competition in Huntsville, Alabama, where soldiers were encouraged to bring their own drone builds and modify them on-site. This grassroots soldier-level innovation is a key lesson the Army has taken from observing Ukraine's drone war, as the Army looks to give soldiers more flexibility to repair and customize their drone systems.

Why it matters

Allowing soldiers to fabricate and modify their own drone equipment could give the US Army an important edge on future battlefields, as it enables quicker adaptation and experimentation compared to traditional procurement timelines. The competition also helps the Army identify the best drone operators and the innovative skills they possess.

The details

At the competition, soldiers were allowed to bring any drone they had, whether it was an Army program of record, something bought off the shelf, or a drone they 3D printed and built themselves. The only requirement was that it had to fit in a rucksack. Troops were also 3D printing custom parts for their drone kits, like antenna-carrying gear and helmet mounts for first-person-view goggles. This hands-on approach mirrors what the Army has observed in Ukraine, where operators and industry partners are rapidly modifying drones with specialized features and parts.

  • The US Army held its first annual Best Drone Warfighter competition this week in Huntsville, Alabama.

The players

Col. Nicholas Ryan

Director of Army UAS Transformation at the Aviation Center of Excellence and lead of the drone competition.

Pete Hegseth

US Secretary of Defense, who issued a memo signaling the importance of giving soldiers the right to repair their drone systems.

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What they’re saying

“Whether you received it as an Army program of record, you bought it off the shelf from the blue list, or you built it yourself, you 3D printed it and built it yourself, bring whatever you have.”

— Col. Nicholas Ryan, Director of Army UAS Transformation (dnyuz.com)

“We need to allow our soldiers to fabricate and modify equipment that meets their needs and suits their needs.”

— Col. Nicholas Ryan, Director of Army UAS Transformation (dnyuz.com)

What’s next

The Army plans to continue implementing 3D printing and drone building into its drone courses and across divisions, recognizing the importance of giving soldiers the ability to repair and customize their drone systems in real-time.

The takeaway

The US Army's new approach of empowering soldiers to design, build, and modify their own drone systems is a key lesson learned from observing Ukraine's drone war, as it enables quicker adaptation and innovation on the battlefield compared to traditional procurement timelines.