Polish Special Forces Undergo Advanced Drone Warfare Training in Germany
POLICY WIRE — Hohenfels, Germany — In a moonless, rainy night, Polish special forces emerged from a building resembling a church in the German countryside, embarking on a covert mission. This...
POLICY WIRE — Hohenfels, Germany — In a moonless, rainy night, Polish special forces emerged from a building resembling a church in the German countryside, embarking on a covert mission. This exercise, newly designed and informed by the challenges faced by Ukrainian troops in their conflict with Russia, simulates moving through enemy lines and launching a drone strike on a key location.
The training, initially created by the U.S. Army’s Green Berets for American special forces, is the first of its kind for a NATO ally like Poland. It comes amid heightened tensions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO countries. An Army Green Beret officer noted, We’re using lessons learned from Ukraine. All of those effects that we’re seeing either Russia or Ukraine having to overcome — we’re doing our best to replicate.
The Associated Press gained rare access to the training ground and the troops. The exercise, conducted only twice before this year by different Green Beret teams, underscores the U.S. military’s focus on drone warfare techniques pioneered by Ukraine. It also demonstrates the collaboration between the U.S., its NATO allies, and Ukraine to counter potential Russian actions.
A senior enlisted soldier at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center Hohenfels revealed plans to run the exercise several times a year, expecting interest from most, if not all, of the 32 NATO nations. The scenario, spanning several days on a 1,100-square-mile plot in the Bavarian countryside, involves Polish forces sneaking past a U.S. Army airborne infantry unit, moving through 60 miles of German countryside, and destroying a simulated target in Grafenwoehr.
The exercise tests the Polish forces’ ability to blend into the local population and avoid detection by drones and military police. The U.S. Army uses over a hundred drones in the training, simulating the threat of being spotted and targeted by the enemy.
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Despite recent mixed messages about drone warfare within the military, there is growing interest in leveraging Ukraine’s expertise. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in March that his country was assisting five Middle Eastern and Gulf region nations in countering Iranian drone attacks, with the U.S. and European countries also seeking support.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
