Ukrainian drone operators defeated a U.S. Army armored brigade during a live military exercise this year, demonstrating how rapidly drone warfare has transformed modern battlefields. U.S. soldiers were later able to “respawn” their vehicles and apply lessons from the simulated defeat.
The biannual Combined Resolve military exercise gave U.S. forces an opportunity to train alongside Ukrainian drone specialists with firsthand experience from the war in Ukraine. According to U.S. officials and participants interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Ukrainian operators quickly detected U.S. armored vehicles and simulated attacks by dropping mock explosives and maneuvering drones close enough to represent kamikaze strikes.
The U.S. armored unit was defeated so quickly that it was “resurrected” and returned to the simulated battlefield, a U.S. official told the Wall Street Journal. The exercise took place in Germany from April 9 to May 10 as part of a rotating deployment from Fort Hood, Texas, according to the U.S. Army announcement.
“Using drones in the Army keeps everyone on their toes,” an unidentified U.S. Army soldier said in a promotional video about Combined Resolve. “There are no safe places or safe moments in the game anymore.”
Participating U.S. units typically come from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. The brigade operates heavily armored platforms, including M1A2 Abrams tanks and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
By repeating the training scenarios over two weeks, however, U.S. Army units learned how to better disperse their forces, evade drone detection, and use countermeasures such as electronic warfare. The exercise highlighted the importance of adapting tactics as drone technology continues to reshape armored warfare.
The U.S. military is not the only force learning from Ukrainian drone operators who have gained extensive battlefield experience.
Ukrainian drone specialists also participated in the Swedish-led NATO exercise Aurora 26, held in May. During a simulated mechanized assault, Ukrainian drone teams destroyed dozens of NATO tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, eventually forcing exercise planners to reset the war game. The incident was reported by The Kyiv Independent.
Source: arstechnica.com