Ukrainian drones disabled US armor brigade in simulated warfare 'so quickly' that they had to respawn the equipment

Date:
Fri, 14 Aug 2026 23:25:00 +0000

Description:
The US military was defeated by Ukrainian drones in military exercises, demonstrating the latter's superiority and its ability to teach drone defense countermeasures.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ukrainian drone forces have proved so successful against US troops in exercises that destroyed equipment had to be reintroduced into the simulated combat Over the course of the two-week-long exercise, US forces improved at camouflage, dispersing, and using electronic warfare against the aerial attacks The Combined Resolve military exercise took place in Germany earlier this year US forces engaged
in military exercises were stunned to be defeated quickly by Ukraine drone teams, so much so that the units were allowed to be re-added into the scenario.

Taking place in Germany earlier in 2026, the event was one of several exercises intended to simulate real drone warfare and develop responses and countermeasures to attacks. Ukraine's drone warfare has proved vital in its ongoing war with Russia, with its successes in the conflict defining the country as a pioneer of Unmanned Systems Forces and electronic warfare integration. The US isnt the only country to have engaged in wargames with Ukraine, with the UK, Estonia, and Sweden all recently outmatched Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Recording a kill Despite the US incorporating long-range drones into its arsenal during the War on Terror, it has had mixed results in defending against drone attacks, both in combat and in exercises. The simulated conflict with Ukraine took place in April and May 2026, and while the Fort Hood-based US forces may have come away from the event with some pride, the speed and decisiveness of the Ukraine drone forces clearly took them by surprise.

Rather than using live ammunition in these exercises, an observer is employed to determine whether a kill has been made. This is usually achieved by the drone controller hovering the craft above a vehicle or other combat equipment long enough for a potential kill to have been made. You may like Ukrainian
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In this particular incident, the Ukraine drones were recording kills so quickly that vehicles had to be sent back as new units, like a video game respawn.

However, as the exercises progressed, the US forces were able to improve
their performance. Their responses to drone attacks relied on faster camouflage and concealing, effective dispersal, and employing electronic countermeasures to block the drones. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Ukrainian drones dominate As part of the training, Ukrainian drone
controllers also switched sides to assist the US troops in making effective offensive use of drones.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATOs top military leader, stated that You cant get training like this in the United States, but observed a noted improvement in NATO forces after
training: The change is remarkable.

It isnt just the Americans that have struggled with Ukrainian drone warfare
in simulated scenarios. Other events in 2026 have revealed shortcomings in handling drone attacks in exercises involving the UK, Estonia, some US
troops, and other NATO forces. In addition, a military exercise involving Swedish-led NATO troops and Ukraine's drone warfare resulted in the NATO side being outmatched. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/ukrainian-drones-disabled-us-armor-brigade-in-si mulated-warfare-so-quickly-that-they-had-to-respawn-the-equipment


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