The U.S. Army is investigating the theft of four advanced military drone systems from Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Thieves somehow stole the drones from a Kentucky Army engineer battalion at the military base.
Last week, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) announced that it is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the thefts.
According to the CID, someone last saw the four Skydio X10D drone systems on Nov. 21 at the 326th Division Engineer building.
The Army has released surveillance images of two individuals it believes are connected to the theft. These unknown people entered the building illegally between November 21 and November 25, according to officials.
Investigators are also looking for vehicles that may have been involved in the incident, including as a dark-colored truck and a light-colored sedan.
Skydio X10D unmanned aerial systems are compact, highly advanced drones used for military surveillance and reconnaissance missions. They can operate in challenging settings and support surveillance and reconnaissance missions thanks to their multiple attachment bays, thermal imaging cameras, and artificial intelligence navigation systems.
Why did it take 16 weeks for the Army to notify the public about the thefts?
According to Middlesboro News, before they make military inquiries involving pilfered equipment public, they frequently go through internal channels; there may be valid operational justifications for a delay.
However, the clock is important when the pilfered electronics can fly independently in the dark, recognize a person from almost half a mile away, and function in GPS-denied conditions. Any movement of these devices through secondary markets or across borders in the weeks after the theft closes that window.
Officials have not stated if classified technology or sensitive equipment was present in the stolen drones.
The FBI recently warned California’s governor and law enforcement officials that the state could be the target of an Iranian drone strike, which has sparked renewed interest in the theft of the drones from Fort Campbell.
“We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran,” according to an alert distributed at the end of February and obtained by ABC News. “We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”