Ukraine's Drone Attack Inspires US Army Counter-Drone Training

The US Army is preparing for future wars where enemies could cripple American bases with drone strikes and cyberattacks before fighting begins. A recent Army exercise simulated such attacks, drawing lessons from Ukraine's real-world Operation Spiderweb. In June 2025, Ukraine snuck over 100 drones into Russian territory and struck dozens of grounded aircraft at nearby air bases. The US Army gathered federal and local partners last month at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for its first summit on defending critical military infrastructure. The exercise focused on threats that could disrupt Army data, communications, and electricity, as well as degrade the military's ability to gather forces quickly. Brandon Pugh, the Army's principal cyber advisor, said the goal is to turn "best practices and lessons learned" into a simple playbook that local garrison commanders can use, even if they are not cyber or physical protection experts. The counter-drone element was specifically inspired by Operation Spiderweb. Officials said defending US bases from a similar attack would require a layer of counter-drone systems, including both kinetic and non-kinetic options. Kinetic options include the Bumblebee, a low-cost, AI-powered drone made by Perennial Autonomy that physically intercepts and destroys hostile drones. The Army's Joint Interagency Task Force-401 (JIATF-401) awarded the company a $5.2 million contract for these systems earlier this year. Non-kinetic options include electronic jamming and passive defenses like netting or hardening. Lt. Col. Adam Scher, spokesperson for JIATF-401, said effective counter-drone defense requires a tailored approach that matches the likely threat and what needs to be protected. During the summit, teams examined how current counter-drone capabilities could defeat an attack like Operation Spiderweb. One key takeaway, Scher said, was the need for a common user interface that helps soldiers identify drones faster and decide which system to use against them. US Army officials are also drawing broader lessons from Ukraine, where drone detection and defeat systems can become outdated within months as tactics evolve. The main takeaway for JIATF-401 is the need for defenses that are cheap, scalable, and adaptable to keep pace with a fast-changing threat.