Naval Special Warfare Command is looking to launch a 10-day school to teach its troops how to build and fly first-person-view drones, repair them, and put operators through a final field exercise with them.

According to a proposal on a federal contracting website, the command that oversees Navy SEALs is looking for a civilian contractor to develop a new 10-day course that will include 35 hours of training, 5 hours of hands-on drone building, and 40 hours of actual flying. The listing on sam.gov website, where the military solicits bids on contracts for everything from weapons to chow halls, was posted by acquisitions officials at U.S. Special Operations Command. The proposal’s requirements are laid out in a “Performance Work Statement” from Naval Special Warfare officials.

The school would be a twice-a-year course where operators would learn the ins and outs of building and maintaining their own small FPV drones in the field, ranging from everything from flying them to soldering wire and storing batteries. After the first half of the course focused on building and maintenance, the second half would focus on flight training. No more than four hours in that last phase can be in simulators, and students are expected to train indoors and out.

The 80 hours of training in the course appear to include significant live fire, with requirements for live fire ranges certified by NSW firearms and weapons officials. Notably, the request calls for a culminating exercise on the last day. 

No location is specified in the documents, except that the course would be hosted by the contractor.

While some drone training exercises being done currently by the military have troops trekking through damp, fog-covered forests or out in the field, this one looks more comfortable, with the request noting the program must include a “classroom available with internet access, air conditioning, restrooms, and lounge.” The documents say the plan is to start the new training in January 2026.

Beyond being another sign of the U.S. military trying to keep up with the rapid adoption of drones in warfare, the request also points to how the special operations world is continuing to revise its own training. SOCOM and the various military special operations units have regularly updated their training curriculum, often adjusting for different areas of focus in the world or prioritizing certain languages from regions the U.S. is heavily engaged in. Other overhauls in recent years worked to centralize and streamline combat and tactical training for different units.

The Pentagon has been working quickly to adopt and integrate a wide range of drones into military use, from surveillance to anti-armor tactics to medical evacuations. The next major phase for planners is how to train troops to build and repair drones whose roles on the battlefield will be most impacted by drone warfare. Some units are already developing their own drone labs in order to get around long logistical delays or procurement barriers. 

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