Can a drone match the cognitive and perceptive decisions of a human with the right training, at the right time, in the right place?
The Army is looking to cut 6,500 soldiers from its aviation corps of about 30,000 as drones continue to compete as the future of low-altitude air dominance for the Army. The reduction will initially focus on junior officers and warrant officers with senior panels evaluating these aviators performance records, potential for retention, and the possibility of branch reassignment within the Army.
The Army may then consider conducting these “suitability” panels for enlisted soldiers, such as maintainers and crew chiefs—as well as eliminating all Army Reserve helicopter units (another 4,600 soldiers) between FY26 - FY27.
Army cutting 6,500 aviation jobs as it moves toward drones
This announcement also comes after—but certainly not attributed to—the suspected loss of four soldiers from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA after their MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed near the base. Civilian and military first responders are reportedly on scene with investigations into the cause of the crash already underway.
The 160th is universally recognized as the most elite rotary-wing special operations force on the planet and it’s likely these enterprise cuts wouldn’t impact their aviators as much as the rest of conventional Army aviators.
4 special operations soldiers believed to be dead after Black Hawk crash
