U.S. Media: U.S. Draws on Ukrainian Military Experience to Test Anti-Drone Technology

According to a report by Reference News Network on May 2, the U.S. defense website "Defense One" reported on April 23 that during an exercise conducted at an airport in Florida last September, members of the 10th Special Forces Group launched a drone attack simulating Ukraine's "web" attack on Russia. The defending side consisted of anti-drone units from various branches of the U.S. military. They had previously undergone a week of training.

Brigadier General Matt Ross, who leads the Pentagon's 401st Joint Interagency Task Force for counter-drone operations, stated, "This exercise helped us clarify our focus." The exercise, codenamed "Clear Horizon," held at Eglin Air Force Base, aimed to replicate the conditions and weapons found on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Ross said, "Special operations personnel learned from Ukraine's experiences, and when they returned from Ukraine, they said, 'This is what we see on the battlefield.'"

In the simulated attack, special operations personnel used a variety of drones ranging from small to large, many of which were capable of resisting jamming and radar detection.

Ross stated, "The drones used by special operations personnel include standard (RF) commercial drones, as well as drones equipped with directional antennas, making them harder to jam. Some drones also employ frequency-hopping technology, which provides a more stable connection in the face of electromagnetic attacks. We also used fiber-optic controlled drones and drones controlled via LTE cellular networks."

This approach is significantly different from how the Pentagon typically tests counter-drone technologies.

Due to the electromagnetic effects used to counter drones interfering with aircraft navigation and cellular network services, the military can only conduct tests under very specific conditions. Even recent counter-drone tests, such as the "T-Rex" exercise in Indiana and the "Venus Flytrap" exercise in Germany, did not do this. Instead, the military primarily tests concepts for downing drones without using missiles.

Nevertheless, the military still needs to practice against radar-evading drones. What the U.S. truly needs now is a continuous and timely understanding of how U.S. tactics and equipment would perform on battlefields similar to Ukraine.

Ross said, "We have been to Ukraine, engaged with drone units, observed how they defend Kyiv at night, and learned what equipment their frontline troops are equipped with. Then, we studied the most promising technologies, referencing performance data from these technologies on the Ukrainian battlefield, rather than relying on internal Department of Defense tests and evaluations."

This has prompted the U.S. to make changes in purchasing equipment to down drones and planning defensive measures for military facilities and troops. The exercise conducted in Florida indicates that U.S. drone defense forces need a method to integrate diverse data from radar, drones, and counter-drone systems. He noted that today, the various branches of the U.S. military have adopted a unified drone tracking software solution and interface.

He also mentioned that the exercise revealed a need for more focus on long-range drones capable of damaging "high-value targets, namely command and control, logistics, or air defense targets."

For small drones, the U.S. must develop intercept drones that cost less than the currently expensive defensive missiles.

Ukraine has already learned these lessons, and the task force is now passing this knowledge on to U.S. commanders.

Ross said, "We have now procured some of these systems and are beginning to integrate them across the Department of Defense. In the past six weeks, we have invested over $600 million specifically for the rapid integration of new counter-drone system technologies."

In the budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, the Pentagon will request $75 billion for new drone technologies, an amount that exceeds the annual GDP of some countries. (Translated by Tu Qi)