Between August 2023 and April 2024, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division was deployed across Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. During that time, state-sponsored militia groups launched over 170 attacks against a small network of coalition bases that 2/10 was responsible for defending. The brigade’s deployment represents the most recent and direct experience of any US Army unit defending against drone attacks and, consequently, an important set of lessons on countering and defending against rockets, missiles, and drones of all sizes.
The soldiers of 2/10 experienced a wide range of enemy attacks against conventional munitions, from rockets and mortars to cluster munitions and short-range ballistic missiles. But the enemy’s weapon of choice was the one-way attack unmanned aircraft system (OWAUAS). These drones were mostly little, propeller-driven, fixed-wing craft made of carbon fiber, metal, and plastic. They flew low, sometimes less than a hundred feet off the ground, and depending on the type, their wingspan was a few feet to a few meters. Their US military equivalents are between a Scan Eagle and a Shadow. These systems have no landing gear because they’re designed to land on their noses with a bang.
The low-flying, low-cost, highly accurate, and prolific drones are irresistibly effective. Despite their small size, one-way attack drones on the battlefield today have tremendous range. Small to mid-sized one-way attack OWAUAS can travel
as far as 2,500 kilometers, distances more akin to land attack cruise missiles and ballistic missiles than any tube-based artillery. Their versatility, reach, cost, and precision will increasingly make them appealing options for any modern combatant, no matter its global stature or military size.
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