U.S. Sen. Katie Britt praised the Army’s decision to designate Fort Rucker as its UAS and Autonomy Center of Excellence, expanding the Alabama installation’s role in unmanned aircraft and autonomous warfare technology.
Gen. Christopher LaNeve, vice chief of staff and acting chief of staff of the Army, announced the designation Monday as part of a broader effort to speed the development and deployment of autonomous systems across the service.
“Fort Rucker has long been the beating heart of Army Aviation, and today’s announcement makes clear it will lead the Army into the next era of warfare,” Britt (R-Montgomery) said.
The new mission will build on work already taking place at Fort Rucker pairing manned and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft and testing autonomous technologies.
“Fort Rucker is unique in that we can bring together warfighting experts and cutting-edge commercial capabilities to test technology the way we intend to fight it,” LaNeve said.
Britt has previously pushed Army officials to expand the unmanned aircraft mission at Fort Rucker.
In 2024, she sent a letter asking Army leadership to consider the installation for its UAS mission. She also backed language in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act directing the Army to brief Congress on its unmanned aircraft strategy and future basing decisions. Last December, Britt led another letter requesting that Fort Rucker be designated as the Army’s UAS Center of Excellence, according to her office.
The designation comes alongside a wider Army restructuring focused on autonomous technology, including plans to redesignate Army Futures and Concepts Command as the Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command.
“As the character of warfare continues to evolve, our military must move with speed and purpose to integrate the capabilities that will deter our adversaries, protect our homeland, and give our service members every possible advantage on the battlefield,” Britt said.
“I am deeply proud that the Wiregrass and the state of Alabama will continue to play a central role in strengthening our national security.”
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
