Ukraine’s drones crushed a US armored brigade in a war game in Germany
Ukrainian crews knocked out US units so fast the drill had to revive them—years and billions after America bet big on beating drones.
Ukrainian drone operators triumphed over US Army troops during a training exercise in Germany, showing how far American forces still lag behind in the low-cost, frontline drone technology that is now the deciding factor on Ukraine's frontlines, according to the Wall Street Journal. The exercise, named Combined Resolve, took place in April and May, involving around 3,500 US personnel from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team.
They were tasked with seizing a position defended by Ukrainian drone troops from the 412th Regiment of Unmanned Systems Forces, or Nemesis. Ukrainian operators swiftly eliminated the attacking armored brigade, with heavy vehicles kicking up dust that reconnaissance drones quickly detected and neutralized. Explosive-dropping and first-person-view drones then finished the job.
The kills were so rapid that US vehicles had to be resupplied as fresh units to keep the drill running. For the first time, a NATO ally built its entire military exercises around the lessons learned from Ukrainian drone operators. Ukrainian crews have been fighting Russia for nearly four and a half years, repairing and adapting drones on the move, while US operators have never faced such conditions.
Ukrainian commanders have switched sides and coached Americans on attacking with drones during the exercise. While some US officers argue that drones dominate due to the static front, others believe maneuver warfare could bring back the relevance of tanks. Ukraine's former commander-in-chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, suggests that drones have frozen maneuver on the eastern front.
This is not the first time Western armies have faced defeat at the hands of Ukrainian drones; they have previously outperformed British, Estonian, and other NATO troops, including Americans, in exercises. The US administration, despite its tensions with Kyiv, has been testing and procuring Ukrainian drones, learning from the counter-drone tools used against Iran and sending more personnel to study drone warfare in Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
