Ukraine shares combat experience in drone warfare at NATO exercises

Illustrative photo: ukrinform.ua

Ukraine’s combat system DELTA made a successful debut during NATO’s anti-drone warfare exercises, which took place in the Netherlands in September.

This is according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, reported by Ukrinform.

The exercises featured more than 60 different systems and technologies aimed at combating drones.

The Innovation Center of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, which is responsible for developing advanced anti-drone concepts, demonstrated the combat experience of the DELTA system during the event.

According to Kateryna Chernohorenko, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister for Digital Transformation, “at these anti-drone exercises, we are not only testing technologies but also showcasing the battle experience of DELTA, gained through tremendous effort.”

She emphasized that participating in such events allows Ukraine to improve its tactics and share knowledge with partners. DELTA’s successful performance at the exercises further demonstrated Ukraine’s significant potential in the development of military technologies.

Ukraine’s DELTA system served as one of the key platforms for planning the exercises and monitoring the real-time locations of both ‘enemy and ‘friendly’ drones.

Ukrainian experts from the Ministry of Defense Innovation showcased the use of the UA DRONE ID protocol for identifying‘friendly’ drones. It is a joint project involving the Ministry of Defense, Cossack Labs company, Aerorozvidka NGO, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. This protocol enables secure data exchange between drones and combat systems, including DELTA.

During the exercises, Germany’s Quantum-Systems’ VECTOR reconnaissance drone conducted up to six flights daily, successfully integrating with the UA DRONE ID.

Additionally, Ukrainian forces: integrated DELTA with partner systems, allowing real-time information sharing about aerial and ground targets; provided situational awareness by tracking drone movements in real time for all exercise participants; used DELTA’s Mission Control module to plan UAV missions, contributing to anti-drone combat scenarios.

NATO also incorporated proposals from Ukraine’s Innovation Center, such as using FPV drones, friendly drone scenarios, and mass drone attacks in the exercises.

The DELTA system’s capabilities in drone warfare were highly praised, with participants emphasizing the importance of Ukraine’s combat experience in strengthening collective security.

NATO representatives expressed interest in continued collaboration with Ukraine’s Innovation Center and invited them to future exercises. Ukraine’s participation in the drills was part of the NATO-Ukraine Innovation Cooperation Roadmap.

As previously reported, Ukraine participated in NATO’s anti-drone exercises for the first time.

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