The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, the Special Operations Center of Excellence, graduated its first class from the new Robotics and Technology Integrators Course (RTIC), marking a significant milestone in the Army's special operations forces commitment to technological overmatch on the battlefield at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, May 29, 2026.
Students from across the U.S. Army Special Operations Command enterprise successfully completed an intensive course designed to prepare them to lead the integration of both friendly and enemy robotic and autonomous systems within their units.
"We are experiencing a SOF Renaissance as technological advancements are swiftly transforming the character of war,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gary Ostrander, Command Chief Warrant for the Officer U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. “There will no longer be a time when a formation does not employ robotics technology on the battlefield to gain an advantage over an adversary."
The establishment of RTIC addresses a critical need for specialized experts who can navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of robotic warfare. The modern battlefield, heavily influenced by conflicts in regions like Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, has seen a proliferation of unmanned systems, fundamentally changing the character of combat.
"The main driving change was the rapid rate of technological advancement overall, especially as it applies to warfighting, and the need to rapidly adapt robotics specifically," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Justin Ryan, RTIC officer in charge. "The force needed a Soldier who could tailor robotic systems quickly and adapt them to meet those changing needs in the operational environment."
The RTIC was established to produce highly specialized technical integrators. The rigorous 18-week course guides students through a comprehensive curriculum that covers a wide range of topics, including digital literacy, systems administration, and telecommunications, as well as advanced subjects such as sensor processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and electromagnetic spectrum fundamentals. Students learn to design, build, deploy, and maintain various robotic systems, including unmanned aerial, ground, and surface vehicles.
"What we are doing here is groundbreaking," said a captain who graduated from the inaugural class. "I think what we are doing here is extending range, decreasing risk, and increasing lethality, and those are three very important things."
A key aspect of the special operations technology pipeline is recognizing the distinct yet complementary roles of an operator and an integrator. The Robotic and Unmanned Systems Integration Course (RUSIC) is designed to train tactical operators, Soldiers who are highly skilled at piloting, deploying, and maintaining both commercial off-the-shelf and military robotic platforms. In contrast, RTIC focuses on developing technical integrators.
While a RUSIC graduate excels at operating drones in the field, an RTIC graduate has a deep understanding of the technology behind these systems. They are knowledgeable about the underlying architecture, including networking principles and data porting. This expertise allows them to disassemble, modify, and reconstruct these systems to address complex tactical challenges that standard equipment cannot resolve.
"A technician is somebody who can give you a full understanding of the capabilities of the technology, how to integrate it within current operations, and then how to employ them to the best of their ability to meet the overall mission success," said a staff sergeant, a graduate who brought 10 years of unmanned autonomous systems experience to the course.
Upon returning to their units, these graduates will serve as the primary echelon for commanders in integrating both friendly and defensive measures against enemy robotic systems. They will be responsible for planning and synchronizing the employment of robotics across all warfighting functions, innovating new solutions, and ensuring their formations remain at the cutting edge of technology. Their skills will be critical in offloading risk from the warfighter, extending operational reach, and providing a decisive advantage in large-scale combat operations and multi-domain operations.
The training culminates in a rigorous two-week exercise where students face a live, free-playing opposing force, testing their ability to build, tailor, and employ robotic platforms in a realistic tactical scenario.
To maintain relevance, the RTIC course is designed to be adaptable, keeping pace with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous systems. The curriculum follows an agile framework, allowing instructors to integrate the latest technologies, software updates, and lessons from current battlefields. By maintaining feedback loops with operational units and collaborating with industry and defense research, the Special Operations Center of Excellence ensures that training evolves continually, helping special operations forces retain their technological edge.
The ideal candidate for RTIC is not just technically proficient but also passionate, creative, and adaptive.
"The ideal candidate is not one specific person or military occupational specialty," the staff sergeant said. "It is anybody who has a passion for greatness and for robotics. We are looking for people who want to solve hard problems."
"As these graduates return to their units, they will provide critical expertise to units of action to meet their commander's intent," Ostrander said. "This will ensure the integration of autonomous systems and robotics plans, as well as promote innovation and fabrication, allowing them to maintain an advantage to stay ahead of enemies at the forward edge."
Author’s note: To safeguard the identities of the special operations Soldiers attending the course, graduates are referred to by their rank.
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