Drone Arms Race Risks Safety Standards, Army Explosives Expert Warns

CBS News reports an Army explosive-safety specialist warned that the Defense Department’s rush to adapt and field low-cost drones amid expanding unmanned warfare could be outrunning basic safety principles. The concern follows a March incident at the Joint Readiness Training Center where a small drone-borne explosive detonated, injuring a Special Forces soldier and prompting scrutiny of the XM183 MiniBlast cartridge, which the memo says has not received a full material release. The memo notes possible triggers such as static electricity or EMI to ordnance and highlights the broader push—driven by requests to produce up to ~300,000 drones—that may pressure safety oversight. Army officials disputed some conclusions, and safety centers said investigations require specific thresholds, illustrating a tension between rapid counter-UAS development and established safety standards.