Pentagon Plans Autonomous Drone Testing Ground at Mississippi's Stennis Space Center
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to build an "Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground" at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges for air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. Driven by lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the initiative aims to accelerate drone and counter-drone development. It aligns with the "US Drone Dominance Memo" and a July 2025 Pentagon memorandum to streamline acquisition. SOCOM and SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military, industry, and academic partners.
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
Pentagon Plans New Autonomous Drone Testing Ground at Mississippi's Stennis Space Center
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is planning to build a new testing ground for drones at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The facility, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' will support air, sea, and ground-based drones and include electromagnetic capabilities, preparing the military for operations from the seabed to low Earth orbit. The initiative is driven by lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, where low-cost drones have proven effective. It aligns with the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to accelerate drone development and acquisition. SOCOM and the innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military, industry, and academic partners to advance the project.
Defense NewsPentagon Plans New Autonomous Drone Testing Ground in Mississippi
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges for air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. The project, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' aims to accelerate drone development and counter-drone technology, driven by lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, including the U.S. conflict with Iran. The effort is tied to the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to streamline acquisition. SOCOM and the innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for industry, academic, and military participants to advance prototype and production agreements.
Defense NewsPentagon Plans New Autonomous Drone Testing Ground in Mississippi
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges to accommodate air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. The project, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' aims to accelerate drone development and counter-drone capabilities, driven by lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, including the war with Iran. The initiative is tied to the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to streamline acquisition. SOCOM and the defense innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military officials, companies, and researchers to foster development and potential prototype agreements.
Defense NewsPentagon plans new drone testing ground at Mississippi's Stennis Space Center
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges to accommodate air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. The initiative, dubbed the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' aims to accelerate drone development and fielding in response to lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, where low-cost unmanned systems have proven effective. The effort is tied to the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to expand the drone industry and streamline acquisition. SOCOM and the defense innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military officials, companies, and researchers, with select participants potentially competing for prototype and production agreements. The project reflects growing concern that the U.S. military is not moving fast enough to keep pace with autonomous warfare innovation.
Army TimesPentagon Plans Autonomous Drone Testing Ground at Mississippi's Stennis Space Center
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges for air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. The project, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' aims to accelerate drone development and counter-drone capabilities, driven by lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, including the U.S. conflict with Iran. The effort aligns with the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to expand the drone industry. SOCOM and the defense innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military officials, companies, and researchers to foster development and potential prototype agreements.
Military TimesPentagon Plans New Drone Testing Ground at Mississippi's Stennis Space Center
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is planning to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges to accommodate air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. The project, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' aims to accelerate drone development and fielding in response to lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, where low-cost unmanned systems have proven effective. The effort is tied to the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to streamline drone acquisition. SOCOM and the defense innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military officials, companies, and researchers, with select participants potentially competing for prototype and production agreements. The initiative reflects growing concern that the U.S. military is not moving fast enough to keep pace with autonomous warfare innovation.
Army TimesPentagon plans drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges for air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. The project, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' aims to accelerate drone development amid lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, where low-cost unmanned systems have proven effective. The effort is tied to the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to streamline drone acquisition. SOCOM and the innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military, industry, and academic partners to compete for prototype and production agreements.
Military TimesPentagon plans new drone testing ground in Mississippi
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, expanding existing ranges to accommodate air, sea, and ground-based autonomous systems. The project, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' aims to accelerate drone development and counter-drone capabilities, driven by lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, including the war with Iran. The effort is tied to the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to expand the drone industry and streamline acquisition. SOCOM and the defense innovation group SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for military officials, companies, and researchers.
Army TimesPentagon plans new drone testing ground in Mississippi
The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is planning to build a new drone testing ground at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, as part of a broader Pentagon push to accelerate autonomous warfare capabilities. The facility, called the 'Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground,' will support air, sea, and ground-based drones and include electromagnetic capabilities, preparing the military for operations from the seabed to low Earth orbit. The initiative is driven by lessons from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as concerns that the U.S. is falling behind in drone innovation, particularly after vulnerabilities exposed during the conflict with Iran. The project ties into the 'US Drone Dominance Memo' and a July 2025 memorandum by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to expand the drone industry. SOCOM and SOFWERX will host a collaboration event in July for industry, academic, and military stakeholders.
Military Times