US Army Unit Adapts Ukrainian Drone Innovations to US Needs: Report

On the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, drones and electronic warfare units have revolutionized combat, and the Pentagon is watching closely.

According to Defense One, a U.S. Army unit, the 101st Airborne Division Multifunctional Reconnaissance Company, was tasked by U.S. Army commanders with implementing lessons learned from the events in Ukraine.

A Defense One reporter visited the unit at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.

New equipment is being tested and a new U.S. military doctrine is being developed, the report said.

According to Defense Onse, the unit is experimenting with new types of drones, counter-drone technology, electronic warfare and other devices that could help modernize the U.S. military.

“There are so many lessons to be learned from (the Ukrainians), and a lot of it comes down to integrating new things like the proliferation of (drones),” Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, told the agency.

In April, military analysts told Business Insider that the Pentagon wants to use the lessons learned in Ukraine in its military, with one goal being to study the impact of drones.

These devices, which can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, have been used with terrible results by the Ukrainian army in their David-versus-Goliath fight with the Kremlin forces.

They were used to observe enemy positions, equipped with explosives and attacked enemy troops and armored vehicles, and even destroyed Russian helicopters.

This means that mass gatherings of troops have become extremely dangerous because they can be quickly detected and attacked.

In response, the Kremlin has developed its own combat drone capability and beefed up electronic warfare units to eavesdrop on and disrupt Ukrainian drones.

This has sparked a game of cat and mouse as both sides modify and adapt drones to evade enemy defenses before electronic warfare units can catch up.

In February, The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was revising its military strategy manual for wars with armed groups such as the Taliban to focus on the possibility of war with a major power such as Russia or China.

The group of officials is reportedly closely examining the conflict in Ukraine, paying attention to issues such as ground maneuvers, air power and long-range fires capabilities, with the aim of drawing conclusions that could be incorporated into the new National Defense Strategy.

Part of the review, it said, is to determine how the U.S. infantry can incorporate small drones into its units to counter enemy drones, as well as provide the ability to observe and target enemy positions using electronic signals.

According to a Defense One report, the Multifunctional Reconnaissance Company is experimenting with technologies such as new drones that rapidly collect data, portable electronic warfare devices and technology that mimics electronic signals that can be used to distract enemies.