Overview
- Soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division took the innovation title at the inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition held Feb. 17–19 at the Huntsville Test Range in Alabama.
- Their Project R.E.D. uses AI object recognition to locate friendly or enemy drones and a 3D‑printed carbon‑fiber claw to retrieve them for repair or intelligence exploitation.
- The team received a plaque, an Army Research Lab drone prototype, and a one‑year research and development agreement to collaborate on design improvements.
- Army Secretary Dan Driscoll presented awards and underscored rapid scaling goals for unmanned systems, including a planned soldier‑industry drone marketplace launching next month.
- Other winners included a 2nd Cavalry Regiment team for Best Tactical Squad and 1st Sgt. Javon Purchner as Best Operator.