Army Memo Warns 300,000-Drone Push Ignores Explosive Safety After 1 Soldier Was Injured
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · May 15
Army Memo Warns 300,000-Drone Push Ignores Explosive Safety After 1 Soldier Was Injured
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 15
A March Army safety memo said the Pentagon’s drive to field cheap battlefield drones is outpacing explosive safeguards after a mini-drone detonated inside a Fort Polk training building, injuring a Special Forces soldier.
The blast happened when a 3rd Special Forces Group soldier tried to disconnect an attached XM183 MiniBlast device during troubleshooting; the memo cited possible static electricity, electromagnetic hazards or an improperly secured relay switch.
The specialist wrote that “basic explosive safety principles are being ignored” as units improvise against unmanned threats, and noted the XM183 carries a medium hazard risk and lacked a full Army material release.
Army Special Operations Command said the warning reflected the investigator’s opinion rather than established fact, while the Army’s Combat Readiness Center said it never opened an investigation because the incident did not meet damage or injury thresholds.
The warning lands as the military accelerates drone procurement after lessons from Ukraine, with the Pentagon last year seeking industry capacity for roughly 300,000 drones under President Trump’s push for more unmanned systems.
Is the risk of one soldier's injury a necessary price for preventing catastrophic losses in future drone-dominated conflicts?
With drone innovation now measured in weeks, are soldiers becoming test subjects for unvetted technology on the front lines?