The US Army is preparing to abandon the specialized role of a battalion created to test the use of drones and ground robotic systems, The Wall Street Journal writes. The unit will return to its previous mission little more than six months after the experiment began.

The battalion was deployed in Europe in January. Its troops were tasked with studying lessons from the fighting in Ukraine, improving methods for operating drones and robots, and helping develop new systems and tactics for confronting Russia.

The project was heavily promoted, but the Army has now decided to reshape the unit. According to the WSJ, some of its personnel quietly traveled to Kiev for meetings with Ukrainian counterparts. American troops also worked with Ukrainian drone operators at sites used for NATO combat training.

The battalion is due to take part in major exercises in Germany in August and September. Afterward, it will submit to Army commanders the conclusions drawn from its work under the experimental structure.

Once that process is complete, the battalion will lose its status as an assault unmanned systems unit and return to its former role.

A US Army representative told the newspaper that the unit’s future work would focus on its core combat responsibilities as an airborne battalion.

The WSJ attributes the shift away from the drone specialization to the back-to-basics approach pursued by acting US Army Chief of Staff General Christopher Laniv, whom the newspaper describes as a close ally of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

The experiment had been launched under Laniv’s predecessor, General Randy George, who supported creating a specialized unit for unmanned aerial systems. George was removed from his post as Army chief of staff in April.

The decision to dismantle the battalion’s drone-focused role has already drawn criticism from some military experts. They argue that the move could hinder US efforts to take a leading position in unmanned systems.