The Pentagon has sent military personnel to Ukraine to study the combat use of drones
The Pentagon has sent military personnel to Ukraine to study the use of drones in real combat conditions and to learn from Ukraine’s experience in countering drones.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hagset made this statement during Senate committee hearings, according to the Associated Press.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Ukraine the “Silicon Valley of war” and asked whether the Pentagon chief supports trips by U.S. officials to Ukraine to study modern military technologies.
Hagseth confirmed that he supports such trips and noted that he personally approved the deployment of additional personnel.
According to him, the main goal is to gain practical experience using drones directly on the battlefield.
“So that we can learn all possible lessons from this conflict and implement them in real time into our defense and offensive capabilities in an era where drone dominance is essential,” said the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Hegset also emphasized that this is precisely why the U.S. defense budget allocates significant funds for the development of drones and unmanned technologies.
“Take into account the lessons learned from Ukraine and other battlefields, and ensure their implementation across all armed forces as quickly as possible,” he stated.
Senator Chris Coons called Ukraine a global leader in drone development and counter-drone warfare.
He also noted that during its confrontation with Iran, the U.S. faced the problem of the mass use of cheap Shahed-type attack drones, and emphasized that Ukraine already has effective experience in countering such threats.
Earlier, Ukrainian instructors deployed to the Middle East were impressed by how the U.S. military shoots down Shahed-type attack drones.
During a speech in the British Parliament, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that 201 Ukrainian military specialists are already working in the Middle East, and another 34 are preparing for deployment.
