CBS News | James LaPorta
The U.S. military's rapid push to integrate low-cost, expendable drones for battlefield use is reportedly compromising established explosive safety standards, according to an Army explosive safety specialist. A March memorandum, obtained by CBS News, detailed an incident where a mini-drone detonated, injuring a Special Forces soldier, and warned that the Defense Department's urgency to address unmanned aerial threats is causing "basic explosive safety principles" to be ignored, increasing accident risks. This drive is fueled by lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which highlighted the need for rapid, scaled-up production of lethal drones, prompting the Pentagon to requested industry information for 300,000 drones following a presidential executive order. The specialist's warning, despite being dismissed as opinion by U.S. Army Special Operations Command Col. Allie Scott, underscores critical tensions between innovation speed and safety protocols in military procurement and operational deployment. The incident involved an XM183 "MiniBlast" pyrotechnic cartridge, which lacked "full material release" under Army regulations, further highlighting potential systemic safety gaps.
No comments:
Post a Comment