The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is doubling down on battlefield-ready drone skills, launching a new effort to train commandos to build and fly their own first-person-view (FPV) drones.
The initiative calls for a contractor to run a 10-day course, teaching up to six operators to assemble, operate, and maintain FPV drones twice a year.
This push responds to lessons from recent conflicts, especially between Ukraine and Russia, where small, low-cost FPV drones proved indispensable on the frontlines.
Build, Fly, and Operate
The course covers both foundational and advanced FPV skills, including system assembly, flight operation, troubleshooting, and battery management.
Trainees will spend 35 hours on fundamentals: FPV theory, system integration, operational limits, component identification, and advanced flight techniques.
Five hours focus on supervised build training, with soldering, wiring, configuration software like Betaflight and Ardupilot, and basic maintenance.
Practical flight instruction spans 40 hours in indoor and outdoor settings, culminating in a capstone exercise to test operational readiness.
Strategic Timeline
The training is scheduled to begin in January 2026 and will be conducted at the chosen contractor’s facility.
SOCOM plans to hand the contract to a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business.
By structuring it this way, the service can support veteran entrepreneurs while boosting US special operations capabilities.
