Photo: EPA
Recent military exercises in Germany showed that the Pentagon may still have lessons to learn from the Russia-Ukraine war, particularly when it comes to countering drones.
During the Combined Resolve exercises, Ukrainian drone units repeatedly detected and “destroyed” U.S. troops and armored vehicles deployed from Fort Hood, Texas, according to people familiar with the drills, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The exercises, held in April and May, were designed to test how U.S. forces would operate in an environment dominated by small frontline drones — a defining feature of the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian drones overwhelmed U.S. armored forces
About 3,500 U.S. troops participated in the exercises, primarily from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. Their mission was to attack a position defended by the Army’s opposing force (OPFOR), reinforced by Ukrainian troops from the 412th Nemesis Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces.
According to U.S. officials briefed on the exercises and one participant, Ukrainian drone operators effectively “destroyed” the American armored brigade.
Heavy U.S. armored vehicles generated large clouds of dust as they moved, making them easy targets for Ukrainian reconnaissance drones. Attack drones and FPV drones then followed.
Because live ammunition is rarely used during such exercises, a drone would hover over or approach a vehicle closely enough for observers to declare it “destroyed.”
The Ukrainian drones did so so quickly that American vehicles sometimes had to be returned to the battlefield as replacement units so the exercise could continue, one U.S. official said.
The scenario was repeated several times during the two-week exercise. American units gradually improved by dispersing more effectively, using camouflage and deploying electronic-warfare systems more efficiently.
Ukrainian troops also later switched sides and helped U.S. forces better understand how to employ drones offensively.
Ukraine has become a battlefield drone expert
After nearly four and a half years of war with Russia, Ukrainian forces have accumulated extensive experience in drone warfare. Operators and support units have learned to repair, modify and adapt drones continuously under combat conditions.
Russian forces have also developed significant battlefield experience. By comparison, U.S. drone operators still lack some of the practical skills needed to repair drones and equip them with munitions while under fire, according to one exercise participant.
Eliot Cohen, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said recent combat experience demonstrates how important drones of all types have become to modern warfare.
“For the U.S. armed forces, it is vital to master this, but unfortunately, it does not appear to have happened yet.”
A wider warning for U.S. forces
The German exercises were not an isolated incident. Ukrainian drone operators have previously outperformed NATO forces during exercises in the Baltic region and in drills involving Swedish forces.
The results also highlight a broader vulnerability: U.S. armored formations may struggle to protect themselves from drones while moving on the battlefield.
Some U.S. officers argue that drones are particularly devastating in Ukraine because the war has become largely static, with limited troop movement. In a more maneuver-oriented war, they believe tanks and armored vehicles could regain some of their traditional advantages.
Ukrainian military experts, including former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, have argued the opposite: that drone technology itself has made traditional maneuver warfare increasingly difficult, helping explain the largely static front line.
The U.S. is increasingly turning to Ukrainian experience
Washington has recently increased its efforts to learn from Ukraine's battlefield experience. The U.S. is testing Ukrainian drones for potential procurement and has deployed counter-drone systems developed or proven during the war.
In May, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told senators that the number of American personnel being sent to Ukraine to study drone warfare had increased.
The Combined Resolve exercises therefore served as more than a training event: they provided a real-world demonstration of how quickly inexpensive, adaptable drones can expose weaknesses in conventional armored formations — and why the U.S. military is seeking to incorporate Ukraine's hard-earned battlefield lessons.
