Thanks to lessons learned in Ukraine, the U.S. is beginning to grasp how far behind it has fallen in electronic warfare. The vulnerabilities of U.S. UAVs and outdated designs to electronic warfare have turned Ukraine into a testing ground for modern combat technologies.
The U.S. is actively cooperating with Ukraine's defense industry and military, incorporating some Ukrainian innovations, such as interceptor drones designed to shoot down other drones. Some U.S. defense contractors told Defence One that they frequently ask Ukrainian units to test their technologies on the front lines, yet offer little in return.
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According to a foreign intelligence official quoted by the publication, Kyiv aims to deepen cooperation with the U.S. defense industry. The article also highlights a major step by Ukrainian engineers in producing 3D-printed drones near the front line.
All of this demonstrates how confidently Ukraine is advancing in the development of new technologies. A greater exchange of weapons and analytical data would allow American partners to identify shortcomings in their developments more quickly.
As the publication notes, one of the most well-known examples is the Skydio drone, which Ukrainian operators found ineffective during tests due to russian electronic warfare. As a result, Skydio announced a partnership with Armada to upgrade its drones.
In addition, the Ukrainian battlefield has shown how vulnerable large electronic warfare systems to the enemy attacks. According to Breaking Defense, the U.S. is transitioning from the failed Multi-Function Electronic Warfare (MFEW) program to a modular, open-architecture system, which will simplify the replacement of outdated components with modern commercial technologies.
Such modules are easier to transport and more difficult to detect and destroy. The next innovation would be the ability to separate soldiers from the jamming transmitter; otherwise, once the large source is detected, the operators could become targets. The new concept integrates drones, ground antennas, and separate EW operators, allowing the modules to be dispersed so that destroying one of them does not disable the entire system.
According to sources cited by Defence One, such situations are prompting more and more U.S. military personnel to call for closer ties with Ukraine. Soldiers are literally being tasked by their superiors with learning from Ukraine's experience. In addition, according to a foreign intelligence official quoted by the same publication, European countries are increasingly recognizing the value of partnering with Ukraine.
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