Guest Speaker: LTC Nicholas Currie, US Army War College Visiting Defence Fellow

The proliferation of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) witnessed during the Russo-Ukraine war is transforming how nations view readiness for Large-Scale Combat Operations.  In one year, production goals in Ukraine more than doubled, with 2025 projections aiming to field over 4.5 million sUAS on the battlefield.  While the long-term effects of sUAS proliferation on military operations remain unknown, the immediate impacts on combat operations are well-documented.  The presentation examines how militaries can leverage lessons from the war, as well as ongoing Transformation in Contact (TiC) efforts, to make meaningful changes in procurement to close technological gaps and in institutional training to secure the future professional growth of unmanned operations.