WASHINGTON –
The U.S. Army is implementing a force-wide overhaul of its operational doctrine, integrating lessons from the widespread use of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) to maintain its edge in modern warfare.
The effort supports the Army's goal to achieve "drone dominance" and shifts how the service develops its tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Instead of relying on a traditional years-long process, the Army now fields new drone capabilities to Soldiers iteratively, allowing their real-world experience to guide rapid doctrinal updates.
“Drone dominance is a War Department priority,” said Richard Creed, director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate (CADD). “Most efforts this past year focused on fielding systems and learning to use them. As operational forces gain expertise, we can better determine what the doctrine should say.”
This "learn-by-doing" approach is evident across the Army’s doctrinal library. The service's capstone operations manual, Field Manual 3-0, was updated in March 2025. Updates include new operational imperatives, such as “protect against constant observation” and “make contact with sensors, unmanned systems, or the smallest element possible,” to address persistent drone threats, said Robert Ault, deputy director, CADD. It also incorporates new vignettes from the Russo-Ukrainian War to ensure lessons from current conflicts inform future leader development.
Army doctrine is developed through a collaborative structure. The CADD at Fort Leavenworth typically addresses topics broadly, while the Army Centers of Excellence (CoE) address specific details. This flexible structure enables lessons to flow both top-down and bottom-up.
Creed noted, "When developers create new or updated ATPs [Army Training Publication], these publications prompt us to reexamine broader field manual concepts," emphasizing the process’s dynamic nature.
The Army’s operational and doctrinal approach balances offensive and defensive capabilities. As an example, the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) is finalizing guidance on the tactical employment of small drones with the forthcoming publication of ATP 3-90.51, Tactical Employment of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
At the same time, the Fires Center of Excellence (FCoE) is helping prepare Soldiers to defeat drone threats by revising ATP 3-01.81, Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System Techniques, to keep pace with evolving battlefield capabilities.
The Army's commitment to agility is driving a rapid and continuous update to its doctrine at every level. As Ault explained, this includes revising individual Soldier tasks and expanding sections on adversary UAS in foundational manuals like FM 2-0, Intelligence. Ultimately, this dynamic process ensures that as new technology is fielded and new effective TTPs are discovered, Soldiers are guided by relevant and effective doctrine to dominate in modern warfare.