Exclusive: US coaches Polish forces in a drone-focused drill based on lessons from Ukraine
HOHENFELS, Germany (AP) — On a moonless and rainy night, a group of soldiers emerged from a ramshackle building meant to resemble a church. The alpine terrain loomed over them as they quietly set off for the tree line of the German countryside a short distance away. The soldiers are members of the Polish special forces and are taking part in an exercise designed only months…
Hohenfels, Germany (AP) — In a moonless and rainy night exercise, Polish special forces soldiers stealthily departed from a makeshift church-like structure, embarking towards the German countryside's tree line. They are participating in a simulated drill, which began recently, focused on traversing enemy territory and launching a drone strike on a key adversary location.
Originating from the Army's Green Berets for U.S. special forces, the exercise mirrors many of the challenges that Ukrainian troops faced during their conflict with Russia. This marks the first time a NATO ally, such as Poland, engages in this training, occurring at a time when tensions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO countries have heightened.
"We're using lessons learned from Ukraine," an Army Green Beret officer assigned to the training facility stated Thursday. "We're doing our best to replicate all of those effects that we're seeing either Russia or Ukraine having to overcome." The Associated Press obtained exclusive access to the training ground and the troops conducting the exercise, which has only been executed twice before, each time this year by distinct Green Beret teams.
The drill underscores the emphasis some parts of the U.S. military are placing on mastering the latest drone warfare techniques, pioneered by Ukraine in its four and a half-year effort to repel Russian forces. It also demonstrates how the U.S., its NATO allies, and Ukraine are collaborating to counter the potential threat of future Russian actions, despite the Trump administration's warnings about troop reductions in Europe.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently visited Moscow to dissuade Russia from attacking NATO countries, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. While Russia is capable of carrying out sabotage and cyberattacks against NATO countries, according to three Western officials speaking on condition of anonymity, Putin prefers to avoid a direct confrontation.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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