Stefanik and Kean Back Innovation Effort to Strengthen Warfighting Capabilities at Fort Drum

House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) have sent a letter to Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll voicing their full support for a new initiative designed to strengthen America’s close-combat readiness through cutting-edge innovation at Fort Drum.

The lawmakers endorsed the U.S. Army’s Memorandum of Agreement establishing a Close Combat Innovation Cell (CCIC), a joint effort between the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC), and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.

Advancing the Future of Battlefield Technology

According to the letter, the CCIC will serve as a collaborative hub allowing Army scientists and engineers to work side-by-side with combat units to develop, test, and refine emerging technologies that can directly improve soldier performance and survivability.

“The CCIC will allow DEVCOM AC and the Accelerated Capabilities Team to develop new systems in close coordination with the 10th Mountain Division and Picatinny Arsenal to ensure the technologies it develops are useful to the warfighter in complex battlefield environments,” Stefanik and Kean wrote.

One of the first projects under the CCIC, Project STARLING, is expected to design and produce up to 100 3D-printed small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for deployment within a light infantry brigade combat team. The goal: to expand the tactical reconnaissance and targeting capabilities of the 10th Mountain Division while reducing costs and production time.

Integrating Innovation With Training

The partnership will also enable embedded training opportunities. Operators at Fort Drum will train alongside technical and operational advisors from the Accelerated Capabilities Team (ACT)—a unit formed through DEVCOM AC and private contractor Troika Solutions under the Navy’s Naval Energetic Systems & Technologies (NEST) Other Transaction Authority program.

These advisors, who include both technical specialists and combat-experienced veterans, will help guide soldiers through testing and integration of new systems, ensuring real-world readiness and adaptability in future missions.

Supporting National Defense Priorities

The initiative aligns closely with national defense priorities outlined by the Trump administration earlier this year. In April, President Trump issued an executive order expanding the use of Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) to accelerate the development and fielding of next-generation weapons systems.

Army Secretary Driscoll later emphasized the importance of counter-UAS technologies as part of a broader effort to achieve electromagnetic and air-littoral dominance by 2027. The establishment of the CCIC, Stefanik and Kean wrote, “is a fulfillment of both of these goals.”

Congress recently approved $500 million for the development and integration of counter-UAS technologies. In their letter, Stefanik and Kean advocated for $20 million of that funding to support Fort Drum and Picatinny Arsenal in advancing the CCIC’s efforts.

Building on Fort Drum’s Strategic Role

Fort Drum, home to the 10th Mountain Division, has long served as a cornerstone of Army readiness. Chairwoman Stefanik, whose district includes the installation, has consistently championed policies to bolster its infrastructure, families, and mission capabilities.

Earlier this year, she secured several provisions in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act to strengthen the base and its surrounding community, ensuring the North Country continues to play a vital role in national defense.

Looking Ahead

In their correspondence, Stefanik and Kean encouraged the Army to develop a multi-year Program Objective Memorandum (POM) to sustain funding for the CCIC. They also backed a House-passed amendment requiring Army leadership and DEVCOM to brief Congress in 2026 on the feasibility of maintaining and expanding the CCIC beyond counter-UAS technology to include other close-combat weapons systems.

“We support the efforts of the Trump administration and the U.S. Army to revitalize the warfighting capabilities of our nation’s military to deter, and, if need be, win tomorrow’s wars,” they concluded. “The innovation produced by the CCIC will be crucial in these efforts.”