Oklahoma Guard Trains to Fight Skydio X10 Drone Swarms

The modern battlefield has a new and terrifying sound: the persistent, quiet buzz of a smart drone overhead. For soldiers on the ground, it means they are being watched by an intelligent adversary, and an attack could come at any moment. The Oklahoma National Guard is now training its troops to fight and win in this new, transparent battlespace.

As seen in a recent U.S. Army article, in a recent exercise dubbed Thunderstruck 2.0, soldiers and airmen at Camp Gruber Training Center were put to the test, forced to navigate and assault an objective while under the constant surveillance of a hostile swarm of AI-powered Skydio X10 drones. It’s a smart, forward-thinking approach to preparing for the realities of 21st-century combat against a sophisticated foe.

Learning to Be Invisible

The exercise was a full-scale combat simulation. Troops were inserted by two CH-47 Chinook helicopters and tasked with assaulting a defended trench system. But from the moment they hit the ground, they were being hunted from above by a swarm of Skydio X10s acting as the “enemy” force.

These drones weren’t just watching; they were actively engaging the troops by dropping tennis balls to simulate explosive munitions. The goal was to force the soldiers to adapt their tactics in real-time against an intelligent, autonomous threat. As Lt. Col. Michael Mancino explained, the constant aerial threat changes everything. Soldiers have to move slower, use cover and concealment more effectively, and learn to fight in a world where there is nowhere to hide from a thinking machine.

A High-Tech, Autonomous Adversary

The choice of the Skydio X10 as the “aggressor” drone is what makes this training so significant. This is not a simple, low-cost drone. The X10 is one of the most advanced autonomous drones on the market, known for its AI-driven brain that can navigate complex environments and track subjects with incredible precision.

Using a smart drone like the X10 makes the training incredibly realistic and challenging. The soldiers aren’t just hiding from a camera in the sky; they are trying to evade an intelligent opponent that can follow them through the woods, autonomously avoiding obstacles, and maintaining a constant watch. It’s the perfect way to simulate the threat of a next-generation enemy drone.

This is the new reality of the battlefield. The threat is no longer just a cheap quadcopter modified to drop a grenade; it’s a sophisticated, AI-powered hunter. The Oklahoma Guard is getting ahead of that curve, practicing how to fight when the sky is not just unfriendly, but actively intelligent.

Building the Future of Training

This exercise is just the beginning. The Oklahoma National Guard is so committed to mastering this new domain that they are planning to build a dedicated counter-UAS training complex at Camp Gruber. This will include operations centers, launch pads, and even fabrication labs to develop new drone and anti-drone technologies.

As Maj. Gen. Tim Hennessee, Oklahoma’s adjutant general, put it, “Drones are becoming a thing—they already are. The future depends on us training now.” The goal is to create a hub for the entire National Guard, preparing soldiers for both wartime missions and domestic operations.

DroneXL’s Take

This new detail changes everything. My initial take was that this was a smart exercise for training against a low-tech threat. But knowing they used the Skydio X10? That is absolutely brilliant. This is the definition of “train how you fight.” The Oklahoma Guard isn’t preparing for the last war; they are preparing for the next one.

“Real talk,” the difference between hiding from a simple drone and hiding from an AI-powered Skydio is massive. The X10’s autonomy is its superpower. It can follow a soldier through a forest, navigating branches and trees on its own. It doesn’t lose track. It doesn’t get confused. It is a persistent, thinking adversary. By using this drone as the enemy, the Guard is giving its soldiers the most realistic and challenging training imaginable.

This is a testament to the versatility of the Skydio platform. It’s a powerful tool for good guys, used by police departments and for disaster response. But it’s also the perfect machine to simulate a sophisticated enemy, making our own forces stronger.

This is the kind of smart, forward-thinking training that will save lives on the future battlefield. It’s not just about learning to shoot down a drone; it’s about learning to outsmart one. My hat is off to the Oklahoma National Guard for not taking the easy way out and for truly preparing their soldiers for the intelligent sky of the future.

Photo credit: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Amber Monio