RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Through its publications, INSS provides rigorous, forward‑looking research and analysis on critical national security issues that support the joint warfighter and inform Department of War decision‑makers.

 

Research and Commentary

Results:
Tag: UVS

A Black Widow drone manned by an Indiana National Guard Soldier, assigned to 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment, flies in the air during a Combat Readiness Exercise at Muscatatuck Training Center, near Butlerville, Indiana, July 24, 2026. The exercise validates the Indiana National Guard’s ability to rapidly deploy, integrate with joint and international partners, and fight in complex, large-scale combat operations.

July 27, 2026

Unmanned Vehicular Systems: Why Cost as a Strategy Undermines National Power

The current definition of attritability as relevant to the viability and value of employing unmanned vehicular systems is laden with inaccuracies that can affect calculation(s), planning, tolerances and thresholds for military operational engagements.

A Green Beret assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) calibrates an unmanned aerial system during Next Generational Command and Control (NGC2) training support of Ivy Sting IV at Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado Feb. 4, 2026. The training enhanced Special Operations Forces integration into NGC2 systems alongside 4th Infantry Division to improve mission command capabilities and interoperability in large-scale combat operations.

March 11, 2026

Precision in Words, Precision in Warfare: Terminology and Control in Military Discourse on Unmanned Systems

Unmanned vehicular systems (UVS) spanning aerial, maritime, terrestrial, and sub-surface domains have become integral to intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), logistics, strike operations, and electronic warfare. Yet despite the increasing ubiquity and sophistication of these technologies, discourse surrounding their capabilities can be undermined by imprecise terminology that conflates the terms automatic, remote, and autonomous in policy, technical, operational, strategic and policy briefings and planning.