Updated May 15, 2026 — Washington — As the Defense Department accelerates efforts to field inexpensive, expendable drones, an Army explosive safety specialist cautioned that the push to innovate quickly may be outpacing basic explosive-safety practices and increasing the risk of accidents.
The warning appears in a March memorandum obtained by CBS News that documents a mishap in which a small explosive device attached to a mini-drone detonated during troubleshooting, injuring an Army Special Forces soldier. The memo was written by a civilian Army employee with more than 20 years of service experience in evaluating and monitoring safety.
Addressed to the director of safety at U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, the memo says that while Special Forces units are skilled at field improvisation, the broader rush to counter unmanned aerial threats has created pressures that could undermine long-standing safety standards. The specialist warned that basic explosive-safety principles are being overlooked and that such lapses are likely to increase the chance of mishaps.
The incident took place at the Army’s Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. According to the memo and corroborating accounts, a soldier assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group was attempting to disconnect the device when it detonated inside a building. The soldier sustained minor injuries — lacerations to the arm and face and a concussion — and later returned to duty. Photographs in the memo show a damaged drone and scattered gear on a cluttered workspace.
The explosive involved was an XM183 “MiniBlast” pyrotechnic cartridge manufactured by Houston-based PR Tactical Corporation. The XM183 is intended to simulate battlefield sights and sounds as part of training and battlefield-effects systems. The memorandum notes the cartridge has been assessed as having a medium-level hazard because it can produce dangerous fragments and can accidentally ignite or detonate.
The investigator suggested the detonation may have been triggered by a static-electric discharge or electromagnetic radiation affecting ordnance, possibly enabled by an improperly secured relay switch that allowed current to flow through the drone’s carbon-fiber frame. CBS News contacted PR Tactical; a company representative declined to comment until the full report was available.
The memo also states that the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command had not issued a “full material release” for the XM183. Under Army regulations, a full material release is a formal determination that a material is safe for use, meets operational requirements and is sustainable through Army logistics when employed under approved conditions.
The safety specialist said the risk is growing as the Army and the Defense Department pursue faster, cheaper ways to scale up unmanned aircraft production. Last year the Pentagon asked industry about its ability and willingness to produce roughly 300,000 drones, following a presidential directive to expand U.S. unmanned aircraft capabilities — a push informed in part by lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the evolving role of drones on modern battlefields.
Army Col. Allie Scott of U.S. Army Special Operations Command confirmed the memo’s authenticity but said the safety specialist’s comments appeared to reflect an individual’s opinion rather than established fact. The Army’s Combat Readiness Center at Fort Novosel told CBS News it did not receive a request to investigate the incident; the center said it investigates only incidents that meet thresholds for equipment damage cost and permanent injury or death. CBS News attempted to contact the specialist and the Fort Polk safety office but received no response.
The memo underscores a broader tension: the military’s urgent effort to adapt and mass-produce unmanned systems while ensuring that rigorous explosive-safety checks and material approvals are maintained.