FORT RUCKER, Ala. – The Army Drone Team competed in the National Drone Association’s Drone Crucible Competition Dec. 4-6, joining some of the military’s top drone operators and industry experts in a series of combat-focused challenges.

The event, held at Camp Blanding, Fla., brought together teams with their own unmanned aircraft systems to test and refine squad-level drone capabilities. Scenarios included close-quarter breaching and room clearing, strikes against moving enemy convoys and aerial targets, long-range engagements on critical assets, and integrated missions against multiple targets and counter-drone systems.

Capt. Jacob Bickus, officer in charge of the Army Drone Team stationed with the 1-145th Aviation Regiment, US Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, said the

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