Ukrainian Troops Teach US Army FPV Drone Warfare in Germany

Ukrainian military personnel have embedded with U.S. Army units during Saber Junction 26 in Germany, transferring battlefield lessons on FPV drones and other unmanned systems developed during more than four years of full-scale war with Russia. The U.S. Army employed approximately 1,900 drones during the wider training cycle as it works to integrate one-way attack systems down to company level. 

The cooperation at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Bavaria, reflects a reversal of the traditional training relationship between the two militaries. American forces that spent years training Ukrainian troops are now incorporating Ukrainian experience in drone reconnaissance, strike operations and adaptation under electronic warfare conditions. 

Saber Junction 26 ran from August into September and brought together more than 4,000 U.S., allied and partner personnel. Participating countries included Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and the United States. 

US Army pushes attack drones down to company level

One of the more significant developments during the exercise was not simply the number of drones in the air, but how far the U.S. Army is pushing unmanned capabilities down its command structure.

American units are experimenting with one-way attack drones at company level, according to the Associated Press. That puts small strike drones much closer to frontline commanders rather than concentrating them exclusively in specialized formations. 

The approach reflects lessons from Ukraine, where small unmanned aircraft have evolved from primarily reconnaissance assets into weapons integrated with infantry, artillery and electronic warfare operations.

The U.S. Army has not simply imported the Ukrainian organizational model, however. Ukraine established a dedicated Unmanned Systems Forces branch, while American commanders continue to evaluate how much drone capability should reside inside specialized units and how much should be distributed throughout conventional formations. 

That debate is already visible within U.S. Army Europe.

The 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) has been experimenting with FPV drones, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, ground robots and artificial intelligence-enabled tools through its Bayonet Innovation Team. The unit can produce drones at its own facility and uses lessons from Ukraine and multinational exercises to modify systems and tactics. 

Saber Junction puts FPV drones into realistic combat scenarios

U.S. Army imagery from Hohenfels shows soldiers operating several types of unmanned systems during Saber Junction 26.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment trained with the Hornet military unmanned aircraft system on August 29. Separately, Joint Multinational Readiness Center personnel tested a Vector-AI drone on September 1. 

The opposing force at Hohenfels also operated an Archer drone produced by Neros Technologies, giving maneuvering units exposure to unmanned reconnaissance and attack threats during simulated combat. 

Counter-drone systems formed the other side of the exercise.

Soldiers from the 173rd trained to disrupt unauthorized drones by jamming their navigation and control channels, while the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade supported the exercise with dedicated counter-UAS capabilities. 

The combination matters because the Army is not treating FPV drones as isolated equipment. Saber Junction placed reconnaissance drones, strike systems, electronic warfare and counter-UAS capabilities into the same training environment.

Ukraine's drone lessons are reshaping US Army training

Ukraine's influence extends beyond the presence of Ukrainian personnel at Hohenfels.

The Joint Multinational Readiness Center has incorporated lessons from the war into its opposing force, forcing U.S. and allied units to operate under persistent aerial observation. Stars and Stripes reported that the center's 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment used drone reconnaissance to locate opposing units and support simulated artillery engagements during Saber Junction. 

For ground forces, that changes basic battlefield behavior.

Vehicle concentrations, exposed command posts and movements that could previously remain unnoticed can now be detected by inexpensive unmanned aircraft. The U.S. Army is consequently experimenting not only with operating more drones but also with how formations move, conceal themselves and maintain communications when both sides have persistent aerial surveillance.

Saber Junction provides a European environment for testing those changes against an opposing force designed to replicate aspects of a peer adversary.

It also creates a direct pathway for Ukrainian combat experience to influence NATO forces before those lessons become formal doctrine.

Saber Junction 26 drone warfare: key questions

Are Ukrainian troops training the US Army in Germany?

Yes. Ukrainian military personnel embedded with U.S. forces during Saber Junction 26 and shared operational experience from drone warfare against Russia. American personnel have also traveled to Ukraine to study battlefield lessons directly. 

How many drones did the US Army use?

The U.S. Army employed approximately 1,900 drones during the wider exercises associated with the training period in Germany, according to Army officials cited by the Associated Press. 

Is the US Army using FPV attack drones?

Yes. The Army is integrating one-way attack drones and experimenting with placing the capability down to company level. The 173rd Airborne Brigade also develops and produces FPV platforms through its internal innovation team. 

Where did Saber Junction 26 take place?

The exercise centered on the Joint Multinational Readiness Center at Hohenfels Training Area in Germany. It is an annual brigade-level exercise focused on multinational interoperability and readiness for large-scale ground combat. 

The experience at Hohenfels shows that Ukraine's influence on NATO drone warfare now extends beyond equipment procurement. Ukrainian battlefield experience is feeding directly into how U.S. formations train, organize drone operators and prepare conventional units for an environment in which inexpensive unmanned aircraft are continuously present above the battlefield.