https://www.scivillage.com/ Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:08:00 +0000 MyBB https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19790.html Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:35:05 +0000 Yazata]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19790.html
(WSJ) - NATO conducted large-scale military exercises in Estonia, the Hedgehog 2025 drills, bringing together more than 16,000 troops from 12 member states, with Ukrainian drone operators serving as a simulated adversary.

The exercise laid bare a sobering conclusion: The Alliance is not ready for a battlefield where drones dominate the sky and make every move visible and vulnerable.

The exercise's goal was to recreate a battlefield packed with threats and constant drone activity, pushing units to operate under pressure and testing how well they could adapt in real time.

From the outset, things did not go smoothly. In one scenario, a NATO battle group of several thousand troops, including a British brigade and an Estonian division, advanced as if the battlefield had not fundamentally changed, effectively ignoring the drone threat as though it did not exist.

“The NATO battle group simply moved around without camouflage, setting up tents and armored vehicles. Everything was destroyed,” said one participant who acted as the opposing force.

According to Aivar Hanniotti, who commanded the roughly 100-strong opposing unit, more than 30 drones were operating in an area of less than 10 square kilometers — only about half the drone density currently seen along Ukraine’s front line.

“There was no possibility to hide. We quite easily found cars and mechanized units, and we were able to take them out quite fast with strike drones”.

Overall, the simulated enemy was able to effectively “eliminate” two battalions in a single day, rendering them combat ineffective, largely thanks to its advantage in drones and their intensive use across the battlefield.

Former commander of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Center, described the results as “shocking” for military officials and personnel, saying the exercise laid bare just how transparent the modern battlefield has become, how exposed any unit or equipment are without proper camouflage, fast data sharing, and tactics adapted to constant drone surveillance.

The more joint exercises NATO conducts while absorbing Ukraine’s battlefield experience, the better. But what matters most is that the Alliance genuinely learns from them: acknowledges its shortcomings, corrects its mistakes, and ensures the lessons are applied in practice rather than allowed to go to waste. This process of learning from Ukraine’s experience should have begun years ago.]]>
(WSJ) - NATO conducted large-scale military exercises in Estonia, the Hedgehog 2025 drills, bringing together more than 16,000 troops from 12 member states, with Ukrainian drone operators serving as a simulated adversary.

The exercise laid bare a sobering conclusion: The Alliance is not ready for a battlefield where drones dominate the sky and make every move visible and vulnerable.

The exercise's goal was to recreate a battlefield packed with threats and constant drone activity, pushing units to operate under pressure and testing how well they could adapt in real time.

From the outset, things did not go smoothly. In one scenario, a NATO battle group of several thousand troops, including a British brigade and an Estonian division, advanced as if the battlefield had not fundamentally changed, effectively ignoring the drone threat as though it did not exist.

“The NATO battle group simply moved around without camouflage, setting up tents and armored vehicles. Everything was destroyed,” said one participant who acted as the opposing force.

According to Aivar Hanniotti, who commanded the roughly 100-strong opposing unit, more than 30 drones were operating in an area of less than 10 square kilometers — only about half the drone density currently seen along Ukraine’s front line.

“There was no possibility to hide. We quite easily found cars and mechanized units, and we were able to take them out quite fast with strike drones”.

Overall, the simulated enemy was able to effectively “eliminate” two battalions in a single day, rendering them combat ineffective, largely thanks to its advantage in drones and their intensive use across the battlefield.

Former commander of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Center, described the results as “shocking” for military officials and personnel, saying the exercise laid bare just how transparent the modern battlefield has become, how exposed any unit or equipment are without proper camouflage, fast data sharing, and tactics adapted to constant drone surveillance.

The more joint exercises NATO conducts while absorbing Ukraine’s battlefield experience, the better. But what matters most is that the Alliance genuinely learns from them: acknowledges its shortcomings, corrects its mistakes, and ensures the lessons are applied in practice rather than allowed to go to waste. This process of learning from Ukraine’s experience should have begun years ago.]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-13545.html Wed, 25 Jan 2023 04:12:19 +0000 Yazata]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-13545.html

Turns out that it's a B-52 squadron from Minot AFB, headed out to participate in the big US/Israeli Juniper Oak Exercise.

https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/Article/3...r-oak-232/]]>

Turns out that it's a B-52 squadron from Minot AFB, headed out to participate in the big US/Israeli Juniper Oak Exercise.

https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/Article/3...r-oak-232/]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-11744.html Sat, 12 Feb 2022 20:38:46 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-11744.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/putin...keJiW3efwI

"The United States believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and has communicated those plans to the Russian military, Western and defense officials have told the PBS NewsHour.

Two additional administration officials tell the NewsHour that they expect the invasion to begin next week—reiterating what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Feb. 10.

The White House said Friday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could come within the week and urged Americans to leave the country now.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. still did not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a decision to invade, but that all the elements are now in place for a rapid incursion.

“The risk is high enough and the threat is now immediate enough that prudence demands that it is the time [for Americans] to leave now,” Sullivan said.

“We are not saying that a decision has been taken by President Putin,” Sullivan said. “What we are saying is that we have a sufficient level of concern based on what we are seeing on the ground, and what our intelligence analysts have picked up, that we are sending this clear message.”

Defense officials anticipate a bloody campaign that begins with two days of aerial bombardment and electronic warfare, followed by an invasion, with the possible goal of regime change.

NATO Ambassador Julie Smith briefed the North Atlantic Council on this new intelligence this morning.

By — Nick Schifrin]]>
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/putin...keJiW3efwI

"The United States believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and has communicated those plans to the Russian military, Western and defense officials have told the PBS NewsHour.

Two additional administration officials tell the NewsHour that they expect the invasion to begin next week—reiterating what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Feb. 10.

The White House said Friday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could come within the week and urged Americans to leave the country now.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. still did not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a decision to invade, but that all the elements are now in place for a rapid incursion.

“The risk is high enough and the threat is now immediate enough that prudence demands that it is the time [for Americans] to leave now,” Sullivan said.

“We are not saying that a decision has been taken by President Putin,” Sullivan said. “What we are saying is that we have a sufficient level of concern based on what we are seeing on the ground, and what our intelligence analysts have picked up, that we are sending this clear message.”

Defense officials anticipate a bloody campaign that begins with two days of aerial bombardment and electronic warfare, followed by an invasion, with the possible goal of regime change.

NATO Ambassador Julie Smith briefed the North Atlantic Council on this new intelligence this morning.

By — Nick Schifrin]]>