The Ukrainian military is actively adjusting its equipment and weapons to the current needs of the battlefield. U.S. Army Special Operations Command is jealous of such "freedom", as they in the Command have to wait for the manufacturer to make such improvements for them.
This problem is reported in Defense News with reference to the speech of Lt. Gen. Lawrence Ferguson, chief of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command before the Senate Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. It is noted that this primarily concerns UAVs as well as unmanned systems in general, as technology is evolving far faster than the ability of U.S. Special Operations Command to modify its drones..
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In particular, the U.S. military are bound right now to the suppliers of a particular system and relies on their capabilities. As a result, the technologies in service lag behind the needs and realities of the modern battlefield, especially when it comes to large, cumbersome companies.
The problem is especially relevant for USASOC units, which are often the first users of new and experimental equipment. Therefore, it is important that fighters "at zero" can independently adjust their weapons and have the right to repair.
From Defense Express we note that today advanced technologies can develop very quickly, thereby making obsolete systems that were purchased only a few months ago. These include UAVs, UGVs, electronic warfare equipment etc.
In view of this, the servicemen of the Defense Forces of Ukraine are forced to constantly provide feedback to manufacturing companies, and even independently refine the means to suit their needs. Some developments were even created by the military themselves.
This approach provides additional flexibility in work and the ability to adapt commercial technologies, as well as rapid development of weapons. It is thanks to this that unmanned aerial systems gained popularity in the russia-Ukraine war.
At the same time, in the USA, the military has been actively fighting for the "right to repair" for some time, as now they have to wait for manufacturing companies, which do not always have time, which reduces combat readiness. Therefore, it is very logical that the command of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command is also interested in implementing such an initiative.
Defense News underline, that as with civilians resentful over an inability to fix everything from cell phones to farm tractors without having to go through the manufacturer, right to repair has become a controversial issue for the U.S. military. Nonetheless, right-to-repair provisions were stripped from the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
As Defense Express reported, after costly losses against Iran, U.S. Air Force was moving to replace the MQ-9 Reaper.
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