Cart
0
Ukrainian Drones Wiped Out a U.S. Armored Brigade in War Exercise
A U.S. Army armored force faced Ukrainian drone operators during the Combined Resolve exercise in Germany this spring, and the results exposed how difficult it can be for conventional armored formations to survive in a battlefield dominated by reconnaissance and FPV drones. The exercise has given American commanders another real-world lesson from Ukraine's war with Russia.
At the International Peacekeeping and Security Center near Yavoriv, Ukraine. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. David Carnahan)
The U.S. Army went to Germany this spring to practice fighting a major ground war.
Instead, Ukrainian drone operators showed American troops how quickly that battlefield can turn against them.
Gear Spotlight- What Our Readers Are Picking Up
During Combined Resolve, a multinational exercise held at the U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, in April and May, Ukrainian drone operators repeatedly detected and defeated American troops and armored vehicles in simulated combat, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
Around 3,500 U.S. personnel, primarily from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, participated in the exercise.
Their mission was to attack a position defended by an opposing force, or OPFOR, that had been reinforced by Ukrainian personnel from the 412th Regiment of Unmanned Systems Forces, known as Nemesis.
The scenario quickly demonstrated the advantage of combat-tested drone operators.
Ukrainian reconnaissance drones spotted American armored vehicles moving across the training area. The heavy vehicles were particularly vulnerable because their movement generated dust and made them easier to identify from above.
Reconnaissance was followed by attack.
Ukrainian forces used drones carrying explosives as well as first-person-view, or FPV, drones designed to fly directly into targets. U.S. officials briefed on the exercise said Ukrainian operators effectively eliminated an American armored brigade during the simulation.
Because the exercise was simulated combat, "eliminated" did not mean American soldiers were actually killed.
Instead, units assessed as destroyed were effectively removed from the scenario and, in some cases, had to be "respawned" so the exercise could continue.
That distinction matters because the exercise was not a test of whether Ukrainian troops could defeat an American brigade in an actual war.
It was a demonstration of what happens when a force enters a drone-saturated environment without adequately adapting its tactics.
The U.S. troops were not completely unprepared.
They had electronic-warfare and counter-drone equipment available during the exercise, according to an Army official. But the initial performance showed that equipment alone was not enough.
The American response improved as the exercise continued.
U.S. forces began adapting their tactics, including greater emphasis on concealment, dispersion and electronic warfare. The Army official told the Journal that newer Mobile Brigade Combat Teams, equipped with updated equipment and tactics, have performed considerably better in exercises.
The lesson is bigger than one exercise.
Ukraine has spent more than four years adapting drones to almost every level of battlefield operations. Small commercial-style systems can locate troops, observe artillery targets and provide targeting information, while FPV drones can carry relatively inexpensive explosive payloads against vehicles and personnel.
That battlefield experience has given Ukrainian operators something that cannot easily be reproduced in a classroom.
Combat feedback.
The United States has invested heavily in unmanned systems and counter-drone technology, but the exercise suggests that how forces employ those systems can be just as important as possessing them.
Combined Resolve is officially designed to improve readiness and interoperability for large-scale ground combat operations.
For the Army, the Ukrainian experience therefore offers an opportunity rather than simply an embarrassment.
American troops can study what Ukrainian operators saw, how quickly they identified targets and why conventional formations became vulnerable.
The exercise also fits into a broader pattern.
Ukrainian drone teams have reportedly produced similar results against other NATO forces during previous exercises, reinforcing concerns that armies across the alliance are still adapting to a battlefield where inexpensive unmanned aircraft can expose expensive armored platforms.
The implication for future wars is difficult to ignore.
A tank or infantry fighting vehicle may still provide protection, mobility and firepower, but it can become a liability if an enemy can continuously see it from above.
For America's Army, the challenge now is to make sure the next exercise produces a different result.
Editor's Note: The reported U.S. brigade "elimination" occurred during simulated combat and should not be interpreted as an actual battlefield defeat. The exercise nevertheless provides a significant training lesson because Ukrainian personnel brought experience from active combat against Russia into a scenario involving U.S. forces. The Army has already indicated that tactics and equipment matter together, particularly concealment, dispersion, electronic warfare and counter-drone capabilities.
