Ukrainian drone teams take out entire US tank brigade in war game exercise
During the Combined Resolve exercise in Germany, Ukrainian drone operators simulated destroying an entire US tank brigade, highlighting how drone warfare from Ukraine now shapes NATO training. US troops had to repeat the scenario with “respawns” to adapt their tactics.
Ukrainian drone teams wiped out a brigade of US Army tanks and armored vehicles during a live military exercise held this year, according to US officials and a participant quoted by The Wall Street Journal. The drills took place in Germany as part of the semiannual Combined Resolve exercise, giving American forces a direct look at how drone warfare has evolved on the battlefields of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian operators easily located and destroyed US armored vehicles by mimicking techniques seen in combat: dropping munitions from above or moving in close enough to simulate a kamikaze strike. US armored vehicles were being knocked out so quickly that they were “respawned” and sent back into the simulated fight, a US official told the Journal.
The exercise ran from April 9 to May 10. Troops involved were deployed on rotation from Fort Hood, Texas, and belonged to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, which normally operates M1A2 tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.
“Using the drones with the Army, it keeps everyone on edge,” an unidentified US Army soldier said in a promotional video for Combined Resolve. “There is never a safe spot or safe moment in the game anymore.”
By repeating the same scenario over the two-week exercise, US troops became better at spreading out and hiding from drones, while also relying on countermeasures such as electronic warfare. The US military is not alone in learning from battle-hardened Ukrainian drone teams. Ukrainian units also took part in the Swedish-led NATO exercise Aurora 26 in May. The Kyiv Independent reported that Ukrainian drones destroyed dozens of attacking NATO tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in a mock mechanized assault, forcing planners to reset the war game.
