Maj. Gen. Clayton Hutmacher, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, has said USASOC wants an unmanned aerial system that it can launch and recover without the use of runways, Defense News reported Monday.
Jen Judson writes the command has used Gray Eagle and Shadow drones to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
He told the publication that Gen. Raymond Thomas, head of the U.S. Special Operations Command, aims to increase the ISR capacity and capability for military special operations forces.
“I believe [ISR] is a growth industry for all of us,” Hutmacher added, according to the report.
He noted USASOC also teams Shadow drones and manned Apache attack helicopters as part of efforts to help address an armed scout capability gap in the Army.