According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, the first event of the Layered Counter-UAS Initiative (LCI-X) recently concluded at the Capu Midia Training Range in Romania. The exercise was organized by NATO Allied Command Transformation together with Romania’s Ministry of National Defence.
More than 500 military personnel, civilian specialists, and representatives of defense companies from 21 countries took part in the event, which focused on developing a layered approach to countering drones using both kinetic and electronic warfare capabilities.
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A major aspect of the exercise was the integration of Ukrainian combat experience gained during full-scale war against russia. JATEC provided advisory support to the exercise’s "red team," allowing NATO forces to train against scenarios modeled on current battlefield conditions and modern russian drone tactics.
This approach enabled Allied units to operate in an environment designed to closely replicate the realities of contemporary high-intensity warfare, particularly the large-scale use of UAVs and electronic warfare systems.
The exercise focused on integrating relatively low-cost but effective counter-UAS solutions into a unified layered air defense architecture.
During Eastern Phoenix 26, participants tested:
- UAV detection sensors and systems for transmitting targeting data to centralized command nodes;
- various effectors, including electronic jamming systems, spoofing technologies, interceptor platforms, and machine-gun-based counter-drone systems;
- electronic warfare configurations for UAV suppression alongside live-fire engagements, including helicopter-based operations.
In total, more than 200 technical systems were evaluated during the exercise.
NATO officials emphasized that direct cooperation between Ukrainian specialists and Allied personnel is accelerating efforts to achieve full interoperability between Ukrainian and NATO forces.
The exercise also underscored the growing importance of Ukraine’s battlefield expertise in shaping future NATO doctrine for countering drones and protecting the Alliance’s eastern flank.
According to the organizers, JATEC continues transforming Ukraine’s combat experience into practical defense standards that could influence the future security architecture of both Ukraine and NATO member states.
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