American Tanks and Soldiers Overwhelmed by Ukrainian Drones in War Games

Ukrainian drone operators defeated U.S. troops in a major war games exercise earlier this year, according to a new report.

The Combined Resolve drills took place in Hohenfels, Germany, in April and May. About 3,500 American personnel, mostly from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division rotating in from Fort Hood, Texas, faced Ukrainian operators from the 412th Regiment of Unmanned Systems Forces, known as Nemesis. The Americans were tasked with attacking a position held by the Army’s training ground opposition force, which the Ukrainians reinforced, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Ukrainian drone units easily spotted and defeated the American troops and armored vehicles, according to people familiar with the events. Officials briefed on the exercise and one participant told the Journal that Ukrainian operators had eliminated a full U.S. armored brigade.

The American troops sent heavily armored vehicles into the fight. Those machines threw up dust and were easy for Ukrainian reconnaissance drones to spot. The reconnaissance craft were tailed by drones dropping explosives and by first-person view drones that smash into targets.

Live ammunition is rarely used in such exercises. Instead, drones typically hover above a vehicle or move close enough for an observer to award them a “kill.” Ukrainian systems did this so quickly that American units had to be sent back into the exercises as new units just to keep the training going.

The rotating troops carried standard electronic warfare and counter-drone systems. An Army official noted that newer Mobile Brigade Combat Teams — equipped with the latest gear and tactics — have fared much better in similar exercises.

Over the two-week engagement, the Americans reran the scenario and consistently improved. They became more adept at dispersing, concealing themselves, and using electronic warfare. Midway through the exercises, the Ukrainians switched sides and helped the U.S. forces use drone technology offensively, which they did effectively.

Ukrainian troops have become experts in drone warfare by necessity, after spending nearly four and a half years fighting Russia. Operators and support troops continually repair and adapt drones. American drone operators, in contrast, lack experience in fixing and arming drones under fire, according to a person present at the exercise.

In Ukraine, numerous tanks and other armor have been destroyed — and large parts of the country’s vast front line are almost free of armor. Some U.S. military officers argue that drones are particularly deadly in this war because it has reached a stalemate with little battlefield movement.

In a war of maneuver, they say, the tank and other armor would come back into their own. Ukrainian military thinkers such as former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny argue that drone technology has made traditional maneuver warfare unfeasible for now.

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