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U.S. Army Capt. David Smith, company commander of “Lightning” Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, explains the intent of field testing new counter-unmanned aerial systems during Project Flytrap at Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, June 19, 2025. Smith explained that the new technology being tested could be utilized by the U.S. Army in standard future training. (U.S. Army video by Spc. Elijah Magaña)

~Transcript~

(00:06) Capt. David Smith:
“Project Fly Trap is an operation that's centered around new equipment testing and new equipment fielding of counter-unmanned aerial systems. So what we've seen in the past are very stationary systems. The Army is currently going through an innovation period where we're trying to put these counter-UAS systems into the hands of the soldier, the end-user on the ground.”

(00:33) Capt. David Smith:
“As the troop commander, I have the opportunity to have counter-UAS systems in a mounted platform as we execute our operations. We have a variety of systems out here to include Pit Bull wingmen, the Focus Fusion System. The Army is taking a look as a whole across the spectrum of what could potentially be utilized in the future.”

(00:55) Staff Sgt. Kirk Smith, squad leader assigned to 3-2CR:
“I have contact right beside you.”

~Music~

“A Hero Will Rise” by Stephen McKeon is licensed under De Wolfe Music Library. To request a copy of the 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment’s license, please email team@dewolfemusic.com

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Army Tests New Tech During Project Flytrap

Army Tests New Tech During Project Flytrap

U.S. Army 1st. Lt. Jake Licht, a platoon leader assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, discusses the importance of assessing various counter-unmanned aerial systems during Project Flytrap at Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, June 6, 2025. Licht mentions the importance of mitigating conflicts within the ecosystem of counter-unmanned aerial systems. (U.S. Army video by Spc. Elijah Magaña)

Project Flytrap is led by the U.S. and the U.K. It is a series of CUAS training scenarios that test the capabilities of new, lower-cost and portable technology against adversary drone threats, providing critical feedback to the U.S. Army's continuous transformation efforts.

~~Soundbites~~

(00:01) Project Flytrap assessment team speaks over the radio:
“Red One, drone is in the air. I say again, drone is in the air.”

(00:05) U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jake Licht:
“With any new technology, there's a lot of testing.”

(00:09) U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jake Licht:
“Each of these vendors, they come up with great ideas. They're all super, super smart. And then when it comes to us, the warfighters, we have to incorporate a lot of different technology, a lot of different vendors all in one space. Usually for the first time.”

(00:22) U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment:
“Get ready to jam. All right. Set. Jam.”

(00:09) U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jake Licht:
“So anytime we get lots of new tech, it's important to do operations like Fly trap and these sorts of projects to keep making sure that if they have conflicts with one another, if they interrupt one another, cancel one another out, that we're going to see that out there and know how to mitigate it moving forward. And to compare it against our already existing programs of records to help conduct counter UAS and air defense.”

~~Visuals ID~~

(00:00-00:04)
British Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, Roy

Why Project Flytrap's Testing Procedures Are Important for the U.S. Army

Why Project Flytrap's Testing Procedures Are Important for the U.S. Army

The North Dakota Air National Guard, Army National Guard, UND Aerospace and Grand Forks Air Force Base teamed up to train on locating and tracking small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at Gorman Field, near Grand Forks, N.D. on July 17-18, 2025.

Joint Counter UAS Training

Joint Counter UAS Training

Officers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Bayonet Innovation Team are advocating for cutting-edge military advancements to enhance battlefield capabilities. 1st Lt. Bennett Hellman, 1st Lt. Francesco La Torre, and 1st Lt. Vincent Gasparri recently spoke on the role of innovation in modern warfare, emphasizing its necessity for maintaining superiority.

"You need to innovate to survive and to stay ahead and to stay at the cutting edge," said La Torre, who previously served as an executive officer in an airborne rifle company within the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

Hellman, an 11A infantry officer and director of data for the Bayonet Innovation Team, highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the brigade’s future. "As a brigade, the first step towards artificial intelligence on the battlefield is aggregating our data," he said. "One of the best things artificial intelligence offers is the ability to do things that humans aren't good at. Pattern recognition across millions of rows and thousands of columns isn't something that a human can do."

Gasparri stressed the importance of improved communication and data proliferation. "I think that communication and our ability to proliferate and gather data—whether from UAS systems, different sensors, or even personnel across the battlefield—using technologies like Starlink, Star Shield terminals, new types of radios, and computing power, is essential,” he said.

The officers pointed to real-world examples of innovation within the brigade, such as integrating drones into resupply missions. "Being able to protect troops or resupply formations by using drones is incredible and could save lives on the modern battlefield," Gasparri said. “We recently had non-tactical UAS operators get certified to fly FPV drones that they built themselves."

Gasparri also described a recent test of an octocopter UAS system capable of carrying up to 200 kilograms of payload. "It carried MREs to a trench, dropped them off, then

Interviews: 173rd Airborne Brigade Officers Emphasize Innovation on the Battlefield

Interviews: 173rd Airborne Brigade Officers Emphasize Innovation on the Battlefield

The 711th Human Performance wing is developing wearable technology to optimize warfighter performance. Wearable sensors unlock Airman and Guardian potential by assesing warfighter performance, leveraging stable attributes like inteligence and dynamic factors like fatigue. (U.S. Air Force video by Keith Lewis)

Air Force Adopts New Wearable Tech to Optimize Warfighter Performance

Air Force Adopts New Wearable Tech to Optimize Warfighter Performance

Beachmaster Unit 1, offloads vehicles to test their joint interoperability and capabilities during Project Convergence - Capstone 4 at Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Feb. 29, 2024. TRV-150 is designed to provide rapid and assured highly automated aerial distribution of supply packages to small units operating in contested environments. PC-C4 is a Joint and Multinational, two-phase experiment designed to transform the Army and ensure readiness. (U.S. Army video by Pfc. Samarion Hicks)

UAS and LCU Joint Interoperability

UAS and LCU Joint Interoperability

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael S. Groen, director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, speaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on how AI can better enable military operators and his top priorities for 2021 as JAIC director, Nov. 6, 2020.

Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Director Discusses Artificial Intelligence and the Military

Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Director Discusses Artificial Intelligence and the Military

Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, HI (March 19, 2020) The Department of Defense successfully tested a hypersonic glide body in a flight experiment conducted from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, March 19 at approximately 10:30 p.m. local time (HST). The U.S. Navy and U.S. Army jointly executed the launch of a common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB), which flew at hypersonic speed to a designated impact point.

Department of Defense Tests Hypersonic Glide Body

Department of Defense Tests Hypersonic Glide Body

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