Wielding drones in combat missions and being able to repair them on the spot could soon become a new standard among the skills fielded by the operators of U.S. Special Operations Command, per a solicitation released Wednesday.
SOCOM wants a contractor to develop a 10-day course for six operators twice a year to train them in all aspects of building and flying first-person view drones, according to the performance work statement from Naval Special Warfare Command, which oversees the training and formation of Navy SEALs.
Special warfare operators would be trained to not only fly small drones but also develop expertise in their assembly, including soldering, wiring, circuitry and software configuration.
They will undergo 40 hours of flight instruction in indoor and outdoor environments, with pressure to master the drones quickly in the field. No more than four hours of simulations will be allowed for practice, according to the performance work statement.
As small drones continue to present new threats with incursions into NATO airspace and pose challenges to the defense of U.S. military bases, SOCOM is evidently wasting no time in getting operators up to speed. The documents show that SOCOM expects the contractor selected to present a course schedule and training plan within three days after the contract award, and aims for the course to begin Jan. 15, 2026.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
