US Army Soldiers Build and Fly First In-House Armed Strike Drone in Germany

Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment have successfully assembled, armed, and flown an explosive-carrying attack drone without external contractor support during a live-fire exercise in Germany. Conducted at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the milestone test utilized an Orqa MRM2-10 aircraft equipped with a custom 3D-printed explosive container designed entirely by the unit. The live strike required less than five minutes from the initial launch to the final impact.

The initiative stems from more than two years of development led by unit personnel who sought to build independent battlefield systems. Captain Michael Bapp noted that the exercise represents a conventional Army first regarding a live, kinetic drone strike executed without defense contractor assistance. Soldiers assembled the device using manufacturer-provided components coupled with an electronic safety mechanism and their own printed payload housing, affectionately dubbed the Dragoon bomb.

The custom casing is engineered to carry nearly two pounds of explosives, accommodating roughly 250 grams of C-4 alongside M6 low-voltage blasting caps. Depending on operational requirements, the housing can also be configured with ball bearings or modified into a shaped charge designed to target armored vehicles. While baseline operations allow the aircraft to strike targets over three miles away under expert guidance, integrating an additional receiver could theoretically extend the operating distance past 12 miles.

This shift toward in-house assembly reflects broader lessons drawn from modern conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where accessible commercial drone technology has fundamentally altered tactical warfare. In response, the U.S. Army has initiated specialized training programs focusing on additive manufacturing and drone piloting. Military leadership believes these localized fabrication capabilities will eventually equip smaller front-line formations with affordable, high-precision strike options independent of traditional supply chains.