Blackhawk Company commander explains lessons from controversial Ukraine-led drone exercise

• Ukrainian drones forced American troops to rethink movement, concealment, and battlefield survival
• Persistent aerial surveillance exposed Blackhawk Company’s movements and prompted tactical changes
• US armored vehicles were destroyed in simulated combat despite concealment efforts

A 10-day US Army combat exercise at Hohenfels, Germany, has prompted scrutiny after accounts claimed Ukrainian drones had overwhelmed an American mechanized company during the drill.

The exercise focused on Blackhawk Company of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, which spent 10 days training at the Hohenfels range.

Company Commander Capt. Allan Watson disputes that characterization, saying the report overlooked what his soldiers accomplished during the exercise.

Entering a drone-saturated battlefield

Blackhawk Company operated across a 14-by-27-kilometer training area while Ukrainian personnel from the 412th Regiment supported the opposing force during the opening phase.

The Ukrainian unit, known as Nemesis, brought battlefield experience and aerial systems capable of tracking American movements throughout the range.

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The American unit said its soldiers had limited access to the counter-drone equipment they would have preferred during the exercise.

Instead of depending on unavailable systems, troops modified how they occupied positions, moved vehicles, and concealed personnel from aerial observation.

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Bradley fighting vehicles traveled beneath dense vegetation, while soldiers used steep terrain and difficult routes to reduce their visibility from above.

The company also reviewed its movements from an aerial perspective, adjusting routines that might otherwise have helped enemy operators identify them.

Even with those precautions, American vehicles were destroyed during simulated combat. The losses included Bradleys and tanks, along with some counted among the crews.

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Watson rejected the argument that the losses demonstrated the obsolescence of armored vehicles in modern combat.

He said the vehicles remained valuable because they provided mobility and protection while enabling soldiers to traverse difficult terrain during operations.

Adapting tactics reshaped the exercise

The commander said drones could locate American forces, but exploiting that information still depended on personnel conducting operations at ground level.

That distinction grew increasingly important as the exercise unfolded. Ukrainian aerial surveillance did not eliminate the need for conventional reconnaissance.

On the sixth day, Blackhawk Company transitioned from defensive missions to offensive operations, with the Ukrainian formation later working alongside American troops.

Watson said the soldiers gained confidence as they adjusted to conditions that challenged assumptions carried over from earlier training.

The Ukrainian participants also demonstrated techniques for operating low-cost drones over long distances and connecting battlefield observation with rapid engagement.

“They put on a masterclass in sensor-to-shooter kill chain management and speed,” Capt. Allan Watson, Blackhawk Company commander, said.

Watson said the experience reinforced that technology alone does not determine the outcome of combat because human judgment remains essential.

His central lesson was not that drones had displaced armored formations, but that units must revise their tactics when aerial surveillance becomes continuous.

He also noted that this was not the first US exercise in which Ukrainian drone teams surprised American forces.

In an earlier drill in Germany, US troops were defeated so quickly that exercise officials permitted them to re-enter the scenario.

These exercises are intended to expose weaknesses, evaluate countermeasures, and help American units prepare for warfare dominated by drones.

Ukraine’s prolonged fight against Russia has given its drone teams extensive experience in unmanned systems and electronic warfare.

The repeated setbacks therefore raise a straightforward question: Should US forces adapt faster and strengthen their capabilities?

Rather than dismiss each loss as an acceptable training outcome, Watson argued that American forces should treat these exercises as warnings.

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