Ukrainian troops participated in NATO exercises again, this time in Sweden. The exercises demonstrated that Western forces are ill-prepared for drone threats, which is not necessarily a weakness but rather an opportunity to learn.
According to the AP, Ukrainian UAV operators paused the training exercise three times, giving NATO troops time to figure out the best course of action. In real combat conditions, this would most likely have resulted in casualties.
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Ukrainian military officials say their Swedish partners show strong potential but need to improve their tactics, and that commanders also need a better understanding of how to use drones. Many in the West still do not seem to fully understand this, which is why practical, hands-on experience is needed.
From Defense Express we would like to note that this explains exactly why NATO countries need such exercises. Moreover, they need to lose in order to understand how to act in similar scenarios.
Military exercises typically involve various restrictions on the use of equipment in order to simulate specific scenarios. As a result, Ukrainian operators may end up on equal footing—or even with an advantage.
And that is exactly the idea. If they handled the scenario with a couple of airstrikes directed by reconnaissance aircraft, they would gain little valuable experience. As a result, when such opportunities are not available in training, Western countries may still have to learn through losses—this time under real combat conditions and with casualties among their personnel, as seen in the case of Israeli forces in Lebanon and attacks by pro-Iranian groups on helicopters in Iraq.
At the same time, when NATO forces are placed in close combat situations, they will need to adapt quickly. Moreover, Ukrainian troops are operating alongside them, bringing cutting-edge experience in modern warfare and ready to share it.
The fact that Western armies were "defeated" by Ukrainian drones during the exercises is also making headlines. Consequently, the political and military leadership will be forced to take the threat seriously, acquire the necessary equipment, and implement unmanned technologies and countermeasures.
In conclusion, "losing" to Ukraine in NATO exercises appears to be beneficial and productive. As a result, similar reports are likely to continue, as adapting to UAV-saturated battlefields remains one of the most critical defence challenges today.
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