Armored Innovations Basic Drone Building Course
Armored Innovations
Created by M*****
📍 Where
Armored Innovations Drone Building Course
265 Pinehurst Avenue, Suite D, Southern Pines, NC 28387
ℹ️ Details
- Frame — Lumenier QAV-R 2 Deadcat 5"
- FC/ESC — NDAA-compliant flight electronics
- Motors — 2306.3 1950KV
- Receiver — RadioMaster ELRS RP1 V2 2.4GHz
- Transmitter — RadioMaster Pocket Edge
- Goggles — Fatshark Recon HD
- VTX — Walksnail Avatar HD V2 w/Gyro (0.00001 lux)
- Battery — 1550mAh 4S 100C XT60
- Propellers — Gatebraker 5x5.3x3
- Charger — ISDT D2 Mark 2
- Tool Kit — Travel solder/maintenance kit
- 3D Printer — Bambu Labs X1C
📋 Brief your leadership
Built for the commander's decision — the capability the formation gains, how it fits train-up (CERTEX/VALEX) and deployment readiness, and how to fund it (GPC / SF 182).
Bottom line: A 5-day investment that returns durable, organic capability the formation keeps and can employ through train-up, CERTEX/VALEX, and deployment. Attendees return with equipment and a retained skill — not just a certificate. Cost $6,993.75/student, payable by GPC as a single micro-purchase. Recommend approval and a slot on the training calendar.
Returns organic sUAS capability to the formation: Soldiers build, fly, repair, and 3D-print FPV drones — putting a low-cost precision/ISR effect in the unit's hands and reducing dependence on slow procurement and external enablers. Directly supports the train-up: the skills and kit plug into CERTEX/VALEX scenarios and deploy with the unit, so the capability is validated before and available during deployment. Soldier development and retention: builds high-demand technical expertise that stays in the formation; graduates can train others, multiplying the capability across the unit. Durable, not consumable: every attendee keeps the FPV drone they build plus a Bambu Labs X1C 3D printer, so field repair and iteration continue long after the course. Credible cadre and compliant kit: instruction by a disabled-veteran-owned company (lead instructor 20 years military, 14 in SOF-SMU); NDAA-compliant components; culminates in a full mission profile exercise.
- What does the unit gain — and does it last?
- Where does it fit our training calendar?
- How do we fund it — is sole-source a problem?
- Why this over other training?
Copy text to paste into an email or SF 182 request; Save as PDF for a clean one-pager to attach. Both cover capability & lethality, Soldier development, training-calendar fit (FM 7-0), policy alignment, funding & sole-source (FAR 13.202), and what the unit keeps.
About
ARMORED INNOVATIONS DRONE BUILDING COURSE From Components to Combat Capability in Five Days
10–14 August 2026 Southern Pines, North Carolina Armored Innovations, LLC
Modern combat has proven that small unmanned systems are no longer optional. FPV drones, tactical data links, 3D-printed components, and rapid field innovation are now battlefield necessities.
The Armored Innovations Drone Building Course is designed for the DoW warfighter who needs more than a classroom brief. This is a hands-on, combat-focused course that teaches operators how to build, repair, fly, and employ FPV sUAS capabilities in support of tactical operations.
Led by a disabled veteran-owned company with 20 years of military experience, including 14 years in SOF-SMU, this course is built around lessons learned from real operational environments and focused on one goal:
Give the warfighter the skills to adapt, innovate, and win. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
During this course, students will receive hands-on instruction in:
FPV Drone Construction Build a mission-capable FPV sUAS from components while learning how each system affects performance, reliability, and repairability.
Soldering & Field Maintenance Develop the basic soldering and troubleshooting skills needed to repair systems in training and operational environments.
sUAS Component Familiarization Understand frames, flight controllers, ESCs, motors, receivers, transmitters, batteries, propellers, video systems, and support equipment.
Flight Simulation & Live Flight Training Build confidence through simulator training, then apply those skills during practical flight operations.
Obstacle Avoidance & Tactical Maneuvering Learn how to operate FPV systems in confined, complex, and tactical environments.
3D Modeling & 3D Printing Overview Understand how additive manufacturing supports rapid repair, payload development, field modification, and unit-level innovation.
FPV MANET Integration into ATAK Gain exposure to how FPV systems can integrate with tactical networks and ATAK-enabled mission workflows.
Full Mission Profile Exercise Apply the skills learned throughout the course in a culminating tactical scenario.
WHY THIS COURSE MATTERS
The future fight will reward units that can rapidly build, modify, repair, and employ small unmanned systems at the edge.
This course gives warfighters practical skills they can immediately take back to their formation:
Build capability at the unit level Reduce dependency on slow procurement cycles by developing organic drone-building and repair knowledge.
Improve battlefield survivability Use FPV systems to extend observation, reduce exposure, and support tactical decision-making.
Increase tactical adaptability Train operators to modify and sustain systems as mission requirements change.
Extend training beyond the course Each attendee receives equipment that allows continued development after completion.
STUDENT TAKEAWAYS
Each attendee will complete the course with:
One FPV sUAS kit built during training Travel soldering and maintenance tool kit FPV system familiarization and hands-on flight experience Exposure to 3D printing for drone sustainment and modification Understanding of tactical FPV employment concepts Practical knowledge to support unit-level sUAS innovation Bambu Labs X1C 3D printer to continue training and development after the course
These takeaways are aligned with your existing course flyer, which already lists soldering, sUAS component familiarization, flight training, tactical applications, 3D modeling, 3D printing, FPV MANET integration into ATAK, and a Full Mission Profile exercise.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This course is ideal for:
DoW warfighters SOF and conventional force enablers sUAS operators Communications personnel Reconnaissance and surveillance teams Innovation cells Small-unit leaders Training and modernization personnel Units seeking organic FPV drone-building capability COURSE DETAILS
Course: Drone Building Course Cost: $6,993.75 Dates: 10–14 August 2026 Location: 265 Pinehurst Avenue, Suite D, Southern Pines, NC 28387 Provider: Armored Innovations, LLC CAGE: 9FME9 UEI: GFS1FMKDB137
Point of Contact: Edwin G. Medina medinae@armoredinnovations.com (703) 342-8700 Signal: (472) 241-8025
📎 Slides & materials
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Slides Basic Drone Building Course — Slides 843 KB