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Ukraine-Inspired Drone Resupply Tactics Tested in EU Military Drills
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
European militaries are testing new logistics methods using drones and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), taking cues from battlefield innovations seen in Ukraine.
According to Defense News on July 4, the European Defense Agency (EDA) held an exercise near Rome to connect defense manufacturers with military operators, aiming to bridge the gap between technological development and real-world deployment.
The event, known as the European Defense Innovation Operational Experimentation (OPEX) campaign, brought together unmanned aerial and ground systems at Italy’s Montelibretti military base.
The initiative focused on accelerating innovation and adapting lessons learned from Ukraine, where rapid drone deployment has transformed frontline logistics.
“The war in Ukraine reshaped our understanding of defense innovation, compressing years of development into weeks through rapid prototyping, adaptability, and tight collaboration among armed forces, engineers, and civilians,” said EDA chief executive André Denk during the event.
“Accelerating innovation from the lab to the field is our ticket to operational relevance,” he added.
Companies from across Europe showcased their unmanned platforms during the trials. Portugal’s Beyond Vision, Greece’s Altus LSA, and Austria’s Schiebel demonstrated UAVs, while UGVs were fielded by Spain’s Alysis, Poland’s Piap, and Germany’s Arx Robotics.
The systems operated across challenging terrain, including water-filled ditches, under observation by military representatives from Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Cyprus, and Greece.
The three-week technical demonstration concluded on July 3 and will be followed by operational trials at a second Italian army facility in Nettuno. An EDA official described the exercise as a rare opportunity for armed forces to observe and evaluate the capabilities of new platforms.
“We are missing a link between research and development and end users, and this exercise was a chance for militaries to see the technology in action and understand the possibilities for tactics and doctrine,” the official said.
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Ukrainian military advisors were involved in the planning process, contributing battlefield insights to scenario development. The EDA intends to produce a doctrinal blueprint to help European militaries rapidly adopt unmanned resupply systems.
One key demonstration involved UAVs delivering supplies to remote drop points, where UGVs then completed the final leg of the journey to frontline positions. According to the EDA, similar experiments are already being conducted at the national level across Europe using local defense firms.
“We are now showing armies systems they don’t know about and increasing discussions and lessons for the first time,” the EDA official noted.
Earlier, at the MADEX 2025 exhibition, South Korea unveiled a 3D-printed suicide sea drone inspired by Ukraine’s use of maritime drones. Developed by LIG Nex1, the drone is equipped with infrared-guided missiles and satellite communications, and is part of the country’s broader Sea GHOST concept to establish a fleet of unmanned naval systems.
