On 21/7, the US army posted a video with the caption, "Have you ever seen a drone drop a grenade? Witness soldiers from the 7th Army Training Command, the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine (JMTG-U), and the 173rd Airborne Brigade drop live grenades from a drone for the first time at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany".
The accompanying video showed US soldiers attaching M67 fragmentation grenades and M69 training versions to small drones. Each drone was equipped with a specialized release mechanism capable of pulling the grenade's pin before it hit the target.
US drone dropping grenades at a training area in Germany in a video posted on 21/7. Video: US Army
"This is the first time the army has dropped live grenades from small drones, marking a significant step forward for the 7th Army Training Command and the 173rd Airborne Brigade," Major Philip Draper of the JMTG-U stated in the video.
"The purpose of this training is to innovate, to do things we've never done before and push our current limits," added Colonel Donny Hebel, commander of JMTG-U.
However, the post was met with ridicule, with many pointing out that the capability showcased was not new.
"'Have you ever seen a drone drop a grenade?', the US army excitedly asks. I recall ISIS doing this around 2017, and quite a few others have since adopted it. Sorry, but where have you been?", wrote David Hambling, a military commentator for Forbes magazine.
"I get a lot of flak for constantly pointing out how ridiculously behind the Pentagon is in the cheap drone realm. This post proves it," wrote Tyler Rogoway, editor of the military website War Zone.
War Zone writer Joseph Trevithick added, "The video highlights how the US army is still progressing at its usual pace, even though weaponized drones have become common in conflicts worldwide."
OSINTtechnical, an X account specializing in military analysis with 1 million followers, expressed concern that it took the US over three years to familiarize itself with tactics employed by the Ukrainian army just days after the conflict began.
"Nobody uses M67 grenades dropped from drones anymore. Most Ukrainian units now use specially designed munitions, such as VOG grenades with stabilizing fins," OSINTtechnical noted.
Ukrainian UAV drops an explosive device, destroying a Russian drone in a video posted in September 2024. Video: 130th Territorial Defense Battalion of Ukraine
Will Schryver, a geopolitical commentator on X, sarcastically remarked that the US army had just introduced "alien technology."
The US army's post has since been deleted.
The US military has recently shown increased interest in investing in unmanned aerial vehicles, especially small drones.
In early June, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to accelerate the development of UAVs and drones. On 10/7, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also issued a directive removing restrictions and granting more authority to US officers operating drones, aiming to surpass Russia and China in this field.
Pham Giang (War Zone, Business Insider)
