US Army Tests Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedo for Obstacle Breaching
On June 22, 2026, U.S. Army soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard’s 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion successfully tested a drone-delivered M1A3 Bangalore torpedo to breach wire obstacles at Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho. The Mule 28 drone, built by Oregon-based Lorica Technologies, carried explosive charges and detonated them remotely, aiming to reduce the typical 50% casualty rate of manual breaching. Inspired by Ukrainian drone tactics, the $40,000 system marks a shift toward safer, semi-autonomous engineer operations.
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US Army Tests Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedo for Safer Breaching
The US Army, specifically the Oregon Army National Guard's Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, successfully tested a heavy-lift drone to deliver and detonate an M1A3 Bangalore torpedo through simulated enemy wire obstacles. The experiment, conducted at Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho, represents a shift from traditional soldier-led breaching missions that historically incur up to 50% casualties. The drone used was the Mule 28, developed by Lorica Technologies, which can hoist 200 pounds and features AI processing. The trial, inspired by drone innovation in the Ukraine war, aims to reduce soldier risk. The unit practiced with inert rounds before using live explosives. Future plans involve autonomous drone breaching with minimal human input.
Army TimesUS Army Tests Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedo for Breaching Obstacles
The US Army, specifically the Oregon Army National Guard's Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, successfully tested a heavy-lift drone to deliver and detonate a Bangalore torpedo through enemy wire obstacles at Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho. The trial, conducted on June 22, 2026, used the Mule 28 drone developed by Lorica Technologies, which can lift 200 pounds and features AI processing. The experiment was inspired by drone innovations in the Ukraine war. The goal is to reduce the high casualty rate (estimated at 50%) associated with manual breaching missions. Soldiers used a shock tube detonator to prevent jamming. The unit's drone working group spent months developing the tactic, and future plans include autonomous drone breaching with minimal human input. This follows similar tests by the 101st Airborne Division using drones for grappling hooks and 3D-printed munitions.
Defense NewsUS Army Tests Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedo for Breaching, Replacing Soldiers
The US Army is experimenting with drones to perform the dangerous task of battlefield breaching, traditionally carried out by combat engineers facing up to 50% casualties. The Oregon Army National Guard's Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, successfully tested a drone-delivered Bangalore torpedo at Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho. Using a Lorica Technologies Mule 28 heavy-lift drone weighing 45 pounds and capable of carrying 200 pounds, soldiers flew a live M1A3 Bangalore torpedo through 25 mph gusts, detonating it via shock tube to clear a wire obstacle. The working group, inspired by drone innovation in Ukraine, spent months practicing with inert rounds before using live explosives. The drone, equipped with AI and sensors, cost between $2,000 and $40,000, far less than the cost of soldier casualties. The Army sees this as a step toward fully autonomous drone breaching where AI identifies obstacles and deploys charges with minimal human input.
Military TimesUS Army tests drone-delivered Bangalore torpedo to clear obstacles without soldiers
The US Army is experimenting with drones to perform one of its most dangerous missions: breaching enemy obstacles. The Oregon Army National Guard's Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, successfully tested a heavy-lift drone to deliver a live M1A3 Bangalore torpedo through simulated defenses at Idaho's Orchard Combat Training Center. The Mule 28 drone, developed by Lorica Technologies, can lift 200 pounds and uses AI processing. The trial was inspired by drone innovation in the Ukraine war. Currently, breaching missions assume 50% casualties. The Army hopes to reduce this toll by using drones for the task. Soldiers used a shock tube detonation to prevent jamming, and future plans include fully autonomous drone breaching with AI to identify and engage obstacles.
Army TimesU.S. Army Tests Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedoes for Breaching Enemy Obstacles
The U.S. Army is experimenting with heavy-lift drones to perform one of its most dangerous missions: breaching enemy obstacles. Oregon Army National Guard combat engineers successfully tested a Lorica Mule 28 drone delivering a live M1A3 Bangalore torpedo through simulated enemy wire defenses at Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho. The trial, inspired by drone innovations in the Ukraine war, aims to reduce the expected 50% casualty rate for deliberate breach operations. The drone working group, established by Lt. Col. Eric Zimmerman, spent months developing the technique. Soldiers used shock tube detonation instead of wireless signals to avoid jamming. Future concepts include autonomous drones with AI to identify and breach obstacles with minimal human input. The test follows similar efforts by the 101st Airborne Division using drones for grappling hooks and 3D-printed munitions.
Defense NewsUS Army Tests Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedo for Breaching Operations
The US Army, led by the Oregon Army National Guard's Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, successfully tested using a heavy-lift drone to deliver a live M1A3 Bangalore torpedo through simulated enemy defenses. The trial, held at Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho, involved flying a Lorica Technologies Mule 28 drone with explosive-filled tubes through 25mph winds to clear concertina wire obstacles. The project, inspired by drone innovation in the Ukraine war, aims to reduce the high casualty rate (assumed at 50%) in deliberate breaching missions. Soldiers used shock tube detonation to prevent jamming. The experiment follows similar efforts by the 101st Airborne Division and reflects a broader Army push to use drones for perilous tasks, including potential future AI-autonomous breaching capabilities.
Defense NewsUS Army tests drone-delivered Bangalore torpedo for breaching obstacles
The US Army, inspired by drone innovation in the Ukraine war, is experimenting with using heavy-lift drones to deliver explosives for breaching enemy obstacles, a mission traditionally so dangerous it assumes 50% casualties. The Oregon Army National Guard's Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, successfully tested a commercial-based Mule 28 drone (developed by Lorica Technologies) to fly a live M1A3 Bangalore torpedo through simulated defenses at Orchard Combat Training Center. Soldiers detonated the charge via shock tube after maneuvering the drone against 25mph winds. The test is part of a broader Army push to use drones for perilous tasks, including grappling hooks and 3D-printed munitions by the 101st Airborne. The working group, led by Lt. Col. Eric Zimmerman, envisions future AI-equipped drones autonomously identifying and breaching wire obstacles with minimal human input.
Military TimesU.S. Army Tests Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedo for Breach Operations
The Oregon Army National Guard successfully tested using a heavy-lift drone, the Mule 28, to deliver and detonate a live Bangalore torpedo to clear wire obstacles at the Orchard Combat Training Center in Idaho. The trial, conducted by Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, aims to reduce the high casualty rate associated with manual breaching missions, which historically incur 50% casualties. The drone, developed by Lorica Technologies in six weeks, can carry up to 200 pounds and uses AI sensors for targeting. The experiment was inspired by drone innovation in the Ukraine war. Soldiers used a shock tube detonator to prevent jamming. The unit envisions future autonomous breaching drones with onboard AI to identify and clear obstacles with minimal human input.
Army TimesU.S. Army Engineers Test Drone-Delivered Bangalore Torpedo for Obstacle Breaching
On June 22, 2026, soldiers from the 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, Oregon Army National Guard, successfully tested a drone-delivered Bangalore torpedo to breach wire obstacles at a training range in Oregon. The Lorica Technologies Mule 28 drone, built in six weeks, carried a two-section M1A3 Bangalore Torpedo packed with Composition B4 explosive and dropped it onto the wire while soldiers detonated from cover. Army doctrine normally assumes 50% casualties for soldiers breaching on foot, but this $40,000 drone system aims to reduce that risk. The concept was inspired by Ukrainian battlefield innovations using drones for engineer tasks. The drone was built by Oregon-based Lorica Technologies to avoid Chinese components. The test demonstrates a potential shift in tactical breaching operations.
The Defence Blog – Military and Defense NewsU.S. Army engineers test drone that breaches wire obstacles
On June 22, 2026, soldiers from the 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 41st IBCT, Oregon Army National Guard, successfully tested a drone-delivered live Bangalore torpedo on a wire obstacle at a training range in Oregon. Using a Lorica Technologies Mule 28 drone built in six weeks, the team dropped a two-section Bangalore torpedo packed with Composition B4 explosive onto the obstacle, then detonated it from cover. Army doctrine typically assumes 50% casualties for soldiers conducting a foot breach, but this $40,000 drone offers a potential alternative. The concept was inspired by Ukrainian combat footage demonstrating improvised drone-enabled engineer solutions. The drone was purpose-built by Oregon-based Lorica Technologies due to electronic warfare and supply chain concerns over foreign components.
The Defence Blog – Military and Defense News