To celebrate its rivalry with West Point, the Air Force Academy held a multi-drone light show on its campus last month. 

During the six-minute display, hundreds of UAS moved in synchronization, creating messages like ‘Beat Army.’ The demonstration showcased how far UAS have come since Civil War-era balloons, and what this technology is capable of. 

“We are really in the Wright Brothers era of unmanned aerial systems,” says Col. Eduardo Defendini, director of the Air Force Academy UAS Center.

“New and exciting aircraft shapes, sensor technology and even artificial technology capabilities are emerging from industry that will play a big role in how we execute future multi-domain operations.”

Experienced in flying UAS, as well as manned aircraft, Defendini says that UAS play an “unparalleled” role in providing a threat sight picture and putting effects into the battlespace. According to Defendini, the new test will be how to utilize UAS in contested environments as opposed to the anti-terrorism operations of the past 20 years.

“I try not to shape the argument too much with my own opinion on where we should go [with UASs] because I know it’s the upcoming generation, like the cadets we have here, who will innovate and drive our response to the challenges different adversaries will pose to our defense,” Defendini says.

During their time in the remotely piloted aircraft squadron at the Academy, cadets learn what a career as a rated Air Force officer would entail from hands-on experience flying aircraft to mission planning and training junior cadets on complex tasks.

Part of what makes the Air Force’s UAS program unique is its air operations center immersion capstone and the horizontal integration of research programs underway in academic departments like computer engineering.

“We are exposing the cadets to these emerging technologies and challenging them to consider how they would be fielded in a dynamic setting,” Defendini says.

Below: ​The Air Force Academy hosts multi-drone light show demonstration prior to the inter-service football game with West Point, Nov. 1, 2019. Cadets and onlookers were given a glimpse at the future of drone swarm capabilities (U.S. Air Force Photo by Trevor Cokley).