The US Army showed a clear vulnerability to drones during the Combined Resolve military exercises in Germany, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Citing sources, the newspaper reported that around 3,500 US servicemen took part in the manoeuvres held in April and May. American units were tasked with assaulting positions held by a simulated enemy, while soldiers from Ukraine’s 412th Unmanned Systems Regiment also participated in the drills.
According to one source, Ukrainian operators used reconnaissance UAVs to locate US vehicles before deploying strike and FPV drones against them. As a result, one American armoured brigade was effectively knocked out of the exercise. Its equipment had to be brought back into the scenario so the manoeuvres could continue.
When the same episode was repeated, US units were able to adapt to some extent. Ukrainian servicemen also shared their experience of using drones during assaults on fortified positions.
The Wall Street Journal noted that American troops lack comparable experience in repairing and equipping drones directly under battlefield conditions.
Earlier, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said he had increased the number of US servicemen sent to Ukraine to study the use of unmanned systems.