U.S. Army Tests Mule 28 Drone to Deliver Bangalore Torpedoes for Safer Battlefield Breaching.

The U.S. Army is testing a new way to breach enemy defenses that could dramatically reduce casualties among combat engineers by using the Mule 28 heavy-lift drone to deliver a live Bangalore torpedo directly onto battlefield wire obstacles. Demonstrated during a proof-of-concept exercise at Idaho’s Orchard Combat Training Center by soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard, the concept shows how unmanned systems could keep troops out of direct enemy fire during one of the most dangerous combat engineering missions.

The successful drone-delivered breach created a safe lane through defensive obstacles without requiring engineers to approach the target, highlighting a significant advance in force protection and battlefield mobility. If developed into an operational capability, the approach could reshape how ground forces conduct obstacle reduction by combining autonomous logistics with precision combat engineering in high-threat environments.

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A Lorica Technologies Mule 28 heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicle delivers a live M1A3 Bangalore torpedo during a U.S. Army proof-of-concept demonstration to breach concertina wire obstacles at Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho, on June 22, 2026. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense)

The demonstration took place on June 22, 2026, following several months of experimentation led by the battalion's drone working group. The initiative expands the role of unmanned aerial vehicles beyond reconnaissance and strike missions by applying them to combat engineering, offering a new way to improve force protection while maintaining the momentum of assault operations.

Wire obstacles remain a critical component of modern defensive positions, particularly when covered by machine guns, artillery, anti-tank weapons, and unmanned aerial surveillance. Before armored or infantry formations can exploit a breakthrough, combat engineers must create safe lanes through these obstacles, making breaching operations among the most hazardous missions on the battlefield.

The M1A3 Bangalore torpedo has remained a standard breaching tool for decades. The explosive-filled steel tubes are pushed beneath concertina wire before detonation, clearing a path for advancing troops. Conventional employment requires engineers to approach the obstacle on foot while carrying demolition charges under enemy observation and fire, exposing them to some of the highest risks during offensive operations.

U.S. Army doctrine recognizes the danger associated with deliberate breaching. Combat engineers frequently conduct these missions under direct fire while operating in terrain covered by artillery, mines, and observation systems. The Idaho demonstration focused on reducing engineer exposure during one of the Army's highest-risk combat engineering tasks while preserving the effectiveness of traditional breaching methods.

Instead of manually emplacing the explosive, the Mule 28 transported a live M1A3 Bangalore torpedo directly to the obstacle. After releasing the charge, a shock tube remained connected between the firing point and the demolition charge, allowing soldiers to initiate the explosion from a protected position. The engineers retained a wired firing system, reducing vulnerability to electronic warfare, cyber interference, and radio-frequency jamming.

This design reflects lessons emerging from modern conflicts where electronic warfare has become a defining feature of battlefield operations. Radio-frequency jamming has disrupted countless unmanned aerial vehicle missions during the war in Ukraine. By limiting the drone's role to transporting the explosive while maintaining a physical initiation system, the engineers reduced one of the principal vulnerabilities associated with remotely delivered demolitions.

The aerial delivery system used during the demonstration was the Mule 28 heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Oregon-based Loric Technologies. The aircraft weighs approximately 20.5 kg (45 pounds) and uses eight electric motors driving large-diameter propellers. It can reportedly carry payloads of up to 91 kg (200 pounds), significantly exceeding the lifting capacity of conventional tactical quadcopters. The unmanned aerial vehicle also integrates artificial intelligence processing, software-defined radios and advanced optical targeting technologies designed to support future autonomous missions.

Lift capacity is the critical requirement for engineer breaching missions. Most tactical quadcopters employed in current conflicts carry only small explosive payloads suitable for reconnaissance or attack missions. Combat engineering requires much heavier demolition charges capable of defeating complex wire obstacles. Heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles open new possibilities for engineering support, logistics, and mobility operations beyond traditional drone roles.

Before employing live explosives, the battalion adopted a progressive testing approach. Engineers first validated the release mechanism using inert payloads before advancing to inert Bangalore torpedoes equipped with blasting caps and detonating cord. Live M1A3 Bangalore torpedoes were introduced only after the flight profile, release accuracy, and safety procedures had been fully validated.

The demonstration remains an experimental effort rather than a formal acquisition program, but it reflects operational lessons emerging from Ukraine, where commercial unmanned aerial vehicles have been adapted for reconnaissance, logistics, precision strike and engineering support. The Oregon Army National Guard applied those observations to a combat engineering mission that has seen relatively little technological change despite evolving battlefield threats.

The concept complements the U.S. Army's broader modernization effort to integrate unmanned systems into conventional combat operations. It is intended to reduce engineers' exposure, not replace combat engineers. Soldiers would continue planning, securing, and supervising breaching operations while unmanned aerial vehicles would perform the most dangerous task: delivering demolition charges into enemy engagement areas.

Future developments could further expand the concept. Engineers involved in the project suggested that artificial intelligence could eventually assist unmanned aerial vehicles in identifying wire obstacles, calculating release points, and executing precision deliveries, thereby reducing operator workload. Combined with autonomous navigation and terrain mapping, such capabilities could improve breaching speed and accuracy during high-intensity operations.

During large-scale combat operations, drone-delivered Bangalore torpedoes could allow engineer units to breach multiple wire obstacles while remaining farther from enemy direct fire. Heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles could support assault formations by placing demolition charges ahead of advancing troops, allowing armored engineer vehicles to focus on minefield reduction and lane clearance while accelerating the tempo of combined arms maneuver.

Drone delivery does not eliminate the complexity of breaching operations, which still require reconnaissance, suppressive fires, smoke, mine clearance, and close coordination between engineer and maneuver forces. It removes one of the most dangerous manual tasks from the breaching sequence while preserving established demolition procedures.

The Idaho trial demonstrates how commercially available heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles can be adapted for combat engineering missions with relatively limited modification. If additional testing validates the concept under more demanding operational conditions, drone-delivered Bangalore torpedoes could become a practical capability for future U.S. Army breaching operations, reducing engineer exposure while increasing the speed and survivability of obstacle reduction against fortified defensive positions.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.