Episode #7: UAS Innovation
Transcript for this episode available here: CALL Podcast EP 7 Transcript (UAS Innovation) [TXT - 46.9 KB]
In this episode of the CALL Insight from the Fight Podcast, Chief Warrant Officer Two Nathan Shea—winner of the 2026 Army Best Drone Innovation Competition—shares his frontline experience and insights on the rapidly evolving role of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in modern Army operations. Drawing from his extensive background working with shadow UAS platforms, multinational training with Ukrainian forces, and innovative drone-on-drone defeat tactics, CW2 Shea highlights the critical shift in how Soldiers must adapt and modify UAS in dynamic threat environments. He provides valuable perspectives on the importance of innovation, realistic training with opposing UAS forces, and rapid adaptation to electronic warfare threats. This episode highlights the growing necessity for Army leaders to invest in talent management, integrated UAS and maneuver training, and networked collaboration to maintain tactical understanding of the common operations picture.
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Host: Mr. Jeremy Stermer is a military analyst at CALL at Fort Leavenworth. He retired as a LTC after 20 years of service as an Infantryman. His deployments include Bosnia, Iraq, and the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Career Captain’s Course, Command and Staff Collage (08), Appalachian State University (BS 96) and Central Michigan University (MS 08).
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Guest:
CW2 Nathan Shea
150U, UAS Operations Technician
DET 1 D Co. 103rd BEB
CW2 Nathan Shea career began as an enlisted 15W Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) operator in 2012. Graduated as the Honor Graduate from RQ-7B IET at Fort Huachuca, AZ in 2013. Completed Warrior Leader Course as a E3 in December 2013. Joined the Active Guard Reserves (AGR) program as an E4 to serve as the Training NCO for D Co 337 BEB UAS in 2015. Promoted to E5 in 2016 and shortly after reassigned to D Co 103D BEB, 56th SBCT as the UAS Standardization Instructor Operator. Attended Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) in 2019 and graduated with a Certificate of Eligibility. Appointed as a WO1 in February 2020 as a 150U, UAS Operations Technician (AGR) and assigned as the PA-ARNG UAS Facility Operations Officer. Reassigned as the UAS Aviation Safety Officer (ASO) in 2022 and attended the ASO course later in 2022. Deployed to Germany as the JMTG-U S3 UAS Planner in August 2024. Currently assigned as the DET 1 D Co 103rd BEB UAS Operations Tech.
CW2 Shea’s UAS experience and being a recreational First Person View (FPV) drone pilot, made him a good fit for the JMTG-U UAS mission. His accomplishments during the rotation include developing and coordinating efforts between 173AB, 2CR and 1CD to create two world-class courses training new Ukrainian Soldiers in the art of drone warfare. Additionally, he developed a top-tier SUAS Tactics Course and FPV Course based on lessons learned from the Ukrainian Training Audience. These courses combined TTPs from both the front lines in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, NATO allies and US army Doctrine to enable the training of over 60 Soldiers, Airmen and contractors in EUCOM. This course closes the knowledge gap on where US Forces stand today with drone warfare and where it needs to progress to. Additionally, executed DEVCOM’s Project SHANK which resulted in the first ever live FPV Strike in the conventional US Army which led to his invitation to conduct the first Air-to-Air strike at the 2025 UAS Summit in Fort Novosel on behalf of DEVCOM. Since this time, he has gone on to brief the Secretary of the Army on FPV drones, stand up the PA ARNG FPV training program, and win the innovation lane within the first Best Drone War Fighter competition with Project R.E.D. (Recovery Exploitation Drone).
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