During a spring exercise at the Hohenfels training area in Germany, Ukrainian drone operators 'destroyed' a US armored brigade, The Wall Street Journal reported. The exercise involved about 3,500 US troops, mostly from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, tasked with attacking a simulated enemy position defended by forces reinforced with Ukrainian drone operators.
Ukrainian reconnaissance drones spotted heavy armored vehicles by the dust clouds they raised while moving. FPV drones and drones dropping explosives then engaged. One participant told WSJ that Ukrainian drones disabled vehicles so quickly that US vehicles had to be re-introduced as new units to continue the training scenario.
US troops, according to sources, were equipped with standard electronic warfare and counter-drone systems but lacked combat experience in repairing and equipping drones under fire. The scenario was repeated several times over two weeks, and over time the Americans learned to better disperse, camouflage, and use electronic warfare. Midway through, Ukrainian troops were sent to support the Americans, where they also showed high effectiveness in offensive operations.
WSJ noted that the US Army is not the first to lose to Ukrainian drones. In May, Ukrainian drone operators 'routed' British, Estonian, and other NATO forces in a Baltic region exercise, and also defeated troops from Sweden and other NATO countries. Eliot Cohen, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said recent combat experience shows the need to master all types of drones, but armies have not yet done so.
The Unmanned Systems Forces were created in Ukraine in June by order of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Since June last year, they have been led by Robert Brovdi (call sign 'Magyar'). In recent months, the USF have carried out regular strikes on Russian enterprises, including oil refineries, ships of Russia's 'shadow fleet', and Wildberries logistics centers.