Below the reader will find links to stories about drone warfare and advancement in the development and employment of drones on the battlefield from around the world. A new Army manual for tankers, several articles on how the Ukraine conflict has changed warfare, the use of AI with drones, and efforts by the Pentaton to catch up in the drone revolution.
Some Drone History. Much has been made of how the use of drones by the Ukrainians (with the Russians catching up) has revolutionized the way of war. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for ISR and dropping munitions has actually been around for a while. In the 1930s, the U.S. Navy used drones to evaluate the effectiveness of antiaircraft weapons on ships. Beginning in the early 1960s and continuing through the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force used modified target drones to gather intelligence. (CRS Report IF1273, July 21, 2025) The United States had its Predator decades ago, initially armed with the AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided missile. (National Air and Space Museum, 2018)
Smaller drones were used by ISIS during the Battle for Mosul in 2015-2017 to drop grenades; ISIS used “One Way Attack” UAVs as well. (CBS News, 2017) Another conflict that showed the importance of drones in conflict was the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War. This brief war resulted in Azerbaijani drones wrecking havoc on Armenian entrenched forces which turned the conflict into Azerbaijans favor. (Air and Space Power Review) The primary difference with the Ukraine conflict is the scale of the use of drones.
U.S. Drone Development and Training
Tanks, Drones, and a New Army Manual. A new Army Techniques Publication (ATP 3-20.15, Tank Platoon, July 2025, 432 pages) is addressing the defensive measures a tank can use to ward off drone attacks. Apparently it involves the use of 120mm canister rounds to take down drones. The manual mentions unmanned systems almost 100 times and lists UASs as part of a tanker’s 12 “Critical Tactical Tasks”. Tanks have always had tactical methods to interdict airplanes and helicopters – some of those same techniques are being applied to drones. Story by Matt White in “The Army has a novel solution to its drone problem: Shoot them with tanks”, Task & Purpose, July 17, 2025.
Reimagining Armor in a Drone Era. The 1st Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor recently said that “I think . . . that the time to reimagine armor has begun, and we have got to think about what armor will look like in the future.” He says that tank units must begin thinking about protecting formations with a layered defense with embedded drone countermeasures. “Drone warfare forces broad rethink of training, Army leaders say”, Stars and Stripes, July 18, 2025.
Autonomous Drones and “Commander’s Intent”. For quite a while first person view drones (FPV) were running rampant on the Ukrainian battlefield. These FPV drones require a human operator to drive an explosive-laden system into a target. However, jamming is becoming more and more successful in defeating these FPV drones and their operators. The challenge then becomes how to develop drones that do not use FPV techniques. Wire guided drones are one solution but the range is limited in many cases. One future development is the doctrinal concept of ‘commander’s intent’. Providing drones with a version of ‘commander’s intent’ along with artificial intelligence (AI) systems is a method being explored. “Commander’s Intent for Machines”, by Matthew Corbett, Modern War Institute, July 16, 2025.
Manufacturing Drones. The complexities of manufacturing drones at scale in the United States to compete with China and other nations is discussed in this article by Martin Feldmann and Gene Keselman. “Factories First: Winning the Drone War Before It Starts”, War on the Rocks, July 17, 2025.
New Pentagon Rules for Drones. The Defense Department will soon allow local commanders to buy drones and authorize troops to fly them in training exercises. This reduces the bureaucratic process to streamline the acquistion of drones and to train up military personnel. “Expect to see more drones during training under new Pentagon rules”, by Patty Nieberg, Task & Purpose, July 17, 2025.
Rifle Smart Scope for Countering Drones. The “SMASH 2000L” will give riflemen the ability to obtain a positive firing solution for engaging unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This will enable a standard M4 to defeat a drone with small arms fire. “Marines to field rifle-mounted smart scope to help counter drones”, by Todd South, Military Times, July 17, 2025.
‘Top Gun’ for Drones. Camp Atterbury in Indiana will host a ‘Top Gun’ school for first-person attack drones. This is part of a new push by the Pentagon to attain “American drone dominance”. The Army and National Guard are hosting and organizing the event; however, Navy, Air Force, and Marine elements will participate as well. The event is titled Technology Readiness Experimentation or T-REX and takes part at least every year, if not more. “The Pentagon will host a ‘Top Gun’ school for Ukraine-style attack drones”, by Patrick Tucker, Defense One, July 18, 2025.
Video – Boozman on Drones. Senator John Boozman, Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, is interviewed about drone warfare. The questions and answers revolve around the topics of mitigating the risks presented by drones and how to accelerate the fielding of forces and infrastructure that will regain and retain the US advantage in drone warfare. “Drone Warfare and Securing America’s Military Against Emerging Threats”, Hudson Institute, YouTube, July 16, 2025, 48 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmg8uCqS7w8 or read the transcript here.
Lawmakers Pressuring Pentagon to Get Serious on Drones. Parts of the draft 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is including strong language from members of Congress about the immediate need to deploy offensive small unmanned aerial systems throughout the military. The details of the NDAA drone provisions are listed in this news article by Rachel S. Cohen. “Lawmakers Push Pentagon to Speed Small Drone Use – and Counter Threats”, Air and Space Forces, July 19, 2025.
From Ukraine’s Front Lines
Ukraine’s Kill Zone. Drones are buying Ukraine time, making Russian advances on the ground tougher and tougher. The drones are swarming in the skies of Ukraine – launched by both sides in the conflict. They are cheap, deadly, and easy to use. They can quickly spot and neutralize targets. It is estimated that there are over 15,000 Ukrainian military drone crews on the front lines. “Enter the kill zone: Ukraine’s drone-infested front slows Russian advance”, Reuters, July 17, 2025.
America, Ukraine, and the Drone Revolution. David Shimer and Jon Finer write about how the Ukrainian conflict has highlighted the importance of drones on today’s battlefield. (subscription)
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/ukraines-drone-revolution
U.S.-Ukraine Drone ‘Mega-Deal’. There could very likely be a big deal in the works between the United States and Ukraine that involves the exchange of drone technology for military equipment. “Zelensky reveals US and Ukraine on verge of drone ‘mega-deal'”, Washington Examiner, July 17, 2025. (subscription)
More Drone News From Around the World
UK Army and Drone Training. Sir Julian Brazier, a former officer in the TA (with 5 years in Special Forces), writes on the need for comprehensive drone training in the UK Army. “Unshackling Training with Drones in the Army”, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), July 17, 2025.
‘Project Vanaheim’. A joint project between the United Kingdom and the United States has been initiated to ‘shape the future’ of counter UAS capabilities. Exercise Vanaheim 3 took place at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels, Germany where 20 different C-sUAS solutions were tested to counter First Person View (FPV) attack drones. However, the exercise did not include any requirement to neutralize fiber-optic wire controlled drones; one of the latest technological developments on the Ukrainian battlefield to emerge. “Project Vanaheim: How the US and UK are trying to keep up with the UAS threat”, Breaking Defense, July 19, 2025.
Drone Attacks in Iraq. A series of drone attacks have taken place in Iraq. Several oil fields in the Kurdish region have been struck as well as on several military bases. The drones were manufactured outside of Iraq but launched within Iraq. Stars and Stripes, July 18, 2025.
RSF Down Akinici Drone. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) recently (10 Jul 25) shot down a Turkish Bayraktar Akinci drone belonging to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in North Darfur, Sudan. The drone had been carrying out airstrikes. The Akinici drone is one of the latest drones on the market – it has a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) capability that can execute air-to-ground and air-to-air combat missions. The Akinici can carry an array of weapons. “Akinci drone downed in Sudan”, Military Africa, July 15, 2025. Countries currently using the Akinici drone include Pakistan, Libya, Mali, Indonesia, UAE, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia.
Drones Manufactured in Africa. Both Nigeria and Ethiopia have developed and are manufacturing military drones for domestic use as well as for sale on the international market. “Nigeria and Ethiopia join forces for Indigenous UAV development”, Military Africa, July 17, 2025.
Australia and Drone Defense. Victor Abramowicz writes that Australia will soon be selecting companies to improve its drone defense capability. Plans are for a program that will detect drones with sensors, utilize systems that will neutralize drones, and a command and control system to tie it all together. The project will take time and will not deliver an initial capability until after 2030. Abramowicz argues that Canberra needs to look within the country to fill this important requirement. “For drone defence, Canberra should choose independent Australian companies”, The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), July 17, 2025.
Podcast about Latvia and Drones. When you are faced with a big adversary on your borders that is willing to invade other countries (that would be Russia) then you look for asymmetric advantages to offset the overwhelming numerical advantage your adversary enjoys. Latvia is looking at drones for this to partially fill this asymmetric requirement. Listen to a podcast where Ugis Noritis discusses Latvia’s budding drone industry. “Lessons Learned and a Big Play on Drones from Latvia”, COGS of War, War on the Rocks, July 14, 2025, 20 minutes.
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Image. Tank Defense against Drone Attack, ATP 3-20.15, Tank Platoon, July 2025, page 378.
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN44282-ATP_3-20.15-000-WEB-1.pdf
