Innovation at the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems University (JCU) is saving the U.S. Army millions of dollars while preparing troops for the challenges of modern aerial threats.
Established in 2023 under the Fires Center of Excellence (FCOE), JCU was created to enhance U.S. Army counter-UAS capabilities, particularly for threats emerging in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. The university officially opened in early fiscal year 2024 with three core courses aimed at developing operator skills across the force.
Early training exercises planned to use commercial DJI Phantom drones as aerial targets, but with each unit costing around $3,100, and up to 1,200 students expected to engage them annually, the expenses quickly mounted. Seeking a more sustainable solution, the JCU team turned to 3D printing, designing and producing their own drone targets and munitions. The shift reduced costs by as much as 91 percent, with further savings of up to 99 percent when drones were recovered and repaired after engagements.
“The Fires Center of Excellence is at the forefront of developing target drones,” said Col. Moseph Sauda, JCU’s inaugural director. “Other centers of excellence, like Fort Benning and Fort Novosel, are already reaching out to us for our 3D schematics and part ordering information.”
By printing drones in-house, JCU has kept its annual target costs to $360,000 instead of a projected $4 million. With student throughput expected to grow to nearly 3,000 by fiscal year 2026, the university is on track to save nearly $12 million.
Beyond saving money, the JCU team is using 3D printing to advance training realism. UAS pilot Matthew Theilacker said the university is producing drones equipped with attachable munitions and prototypes capable of deploying smoke grenades and simulation rounds, bringing training scenarios closer to real-world operations.
“We want to stay current with modern times,” Theilacker said. “We wanted to involve the printers to keep up with what we’re seeing overseas.”
Students in the Operators Course, as well as Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at the FCOE, are now practicing live engagements against these printed drones. Damaged drones are often recovered and repaired within 15 to 30 minutes, ensuring a fast turnaround for continued training.
“The university also supports BCT and AIT units by providing drones and trained pilots during field exercises,” said Jacob Cameron, JCU’s “Air Boss.”
So far, JCU has shared its innovations with multiple centers of excellence, combatant commands, U.S. Army Forces Command units and combined training centers, highlighting its growing role in shaping the Army’s counter-UAS future.
However, concerns have been raised by a recent RAND report that suggests that the U.S. Army’s counter-UAS training falls short of operational requirements.
Post Image – Fort Sill’s JCU 3D prints not only target drones, but also munitions. This innovation has allowed them to keep up with the ever-changing battlefield (Post Image Credit: DVIDS).
