Drones Surround U.S. Armored Vehicles… Ukraine Reveals a Critical Vulnerability

During a military simulation that offered a glimpse into the battlefields of the future, Ukrainian drones managed to “destroy” a U.S. armored brigade within minutes, to the point that exercise organizers had to reactivate vehicles deemed “destroyed” in order to continue the drill.

Sources familiar with the matter confirmed the episode to the British newspaper The Telegraph, noting that the victory was achieved so quickly that U.S. forces had to restart vehicles classified as “destroyed” to extend the training simulation, according to the newspaper.

The exercise was designed to test the ability of U.S. forces to counter small, short-range drones. However, Ukraine’s more advanced drone technology quickly enabled its operators to detect and “attack” U.S. armored vehicles as they moved across the battlefield, the Wall Street Journal also reported.

U.S. forces were tasked with attacking a position partially defended by members of Ukraine’s 412th “Nemesis” Regiment, which belongs to the country’s Unmanned Systems Forces, according to people familiar with the details of the exercise who spoke to the newspaper. Around 3,500 U.S. troops participated in the simulation, known as “Combined Resolve.”

One participant in the exercise, which took place throughout April and May, said that vehicles belonging to the attacking units generated large clouds of dust, making them easy targets for Ukrainian reconnaissance drones. He said the Ukrainians “destroyed” a U.S. armored brigade during the exercise.

U.S. Army tanks proved to be easy targets for Ukrainian reconnaissance drones, according to the newspaper.

The Ukrainian forces operated so quickly that the referees overseeing the exercise were forced to “revive” vehicles that had been classified as destroyed. Otherwise, the training would have come to a halt because there were not enough U.S. combat units available to continue the engagement.

The simulation was repeated over a two-week period and showed that U.S. forces improved their performance as the exercise progressed.

As part of the training, Ukrainian drone operators switched positions with U.S. forces halfway through the exercise, with the aim of teaching the attacking units how to use the technology in offensive operations.

Military exercises of the Combined Resolve type are generally conducted without live ammunition. During the exercise, observers awarded drone operators virtual “kills” when they directed their drones toward their designated targets.

A U.S. Army official told the newspaper that the new mobile brigade combat teams, which employ more advanced technologies and strategies to counter drones, performed better during the exercises than teams relying on conventional counter-drone equipment.

The U.S. Department of Defense has spent billions of dollars on drone technology and counter-drone systems since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second presidential term, while the president’s two sons have announced a series of investments in start-ups operating in the defense industry.

The war against Iran has also exposed U.S. vulnerabilities to drone attacks, with at least eight American service members killed in drone strikes.

Combined Resolve is a semiannual military exercise held in Germany in cooperation with U.S. allies and partners. It is designed to prepare American forces to conduct large-scale ground operations.