01:01 02-02-2026

US Army Trains to Counter Fiber-Optic Drones in Ukraine

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Forbes reports the US Army is learning how to counter fiber-optic drones widely used in the Ukraine conflict, which remain hard to detect and stop.

US Army personnel have begun studying ways to counter weapons systems that are now being actively used in the zone of the special military operation in Ukraine, according to Forbes.

The publication notes that the focus is on specific types of strike capabilities that have already demonstrated their effectiveness in real combat conditions.

Particular attention is being paid to fiber-optic unmanned aerial vehicles — a relatively new class of tethered drones that have been widely deployed in the SVO zone over the past two years. These systems come with features that make them especially difficult to detect and neutralize.

Forbes reports that such drones are able to conduct long-range surveillance without interference and are often only destroyed after they have already gained a clear tactical advantage, forcing soldiers into a largely defensive response.

The authors emphasize that fiber-optic drones pose multiple threats, while the ability to intercept them remains extremely limited even with modern countermeasures.