In a recent development, President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, discussed a "mega deal" that would include the U.S. buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv agreeing to buy a swath of weapons from America. For the military community, this proposal is long overdue.
Experts have continuously warned that the U.S. is falling behind Russia and China in key areas of modern warfare — especially unmanned systems. American soldiers are ill-equipped to operate or defend against the types of drones that adversaries now deploy daily.
Ukrainian drone technology, forged in the crucible of war, offers a transformative opportunity for the U.S. military.
Russia's war in Ukraine has exposed the outdated assumptions underpinning Western military doctrine. The war has become the world's first large-scale drone conflict, with Kyiv and Moscow exchanging hundreds of drone strikes each day.
This case study for 21st-century combat has not been kind to American hardware. Since the beginning of the war, it became apparent that drones provided by American Silicon Valley startups could not perform in modern combat, raising concerns not only in Ukraine but also in the Pentagon, which needs a reliable supply of thousands of unmanned aircraft.
Ukrainian military officials have found U.S.-made drones fragile, unable to take off, and failing to overcome Russian jamming and GPS blackout technology. Often, American drones failed to fly at the distances advertised or carry substantial payloads.
Similar disappointment followed the usage of other Western UAVs. British military experts admitted that Russia is "laughing" at U.K. military drones "built to fail."
As Western drone technology faltered, Ukraine's homegrown innovation surged. While Russia mass-produces Iranian-inspired suicide drones, Ukraine has cultivated a vibrant domestic drone industry, developing increasingly sophisticated systems.
In addition to challenging the Kremlin's attacks at home, Ukrainian drones have illustrated their counteroffensive capabilities on multiple occasions. An unprecedented attack came in June, showcasing the best of Ukrainian abilities.
Labeled as "Operation Spiderweb," the attack saw 117 Ukrainian drones strike air bases deep inside Russia, targeting nuclear-capable long-range bombers and taking out dozens of them.
A month later, two long-range drones operated by Ukraine's Security Service flew over 800 miles to strike the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, a key site for Russia's missile and radar systems. These attacks illustrated Ukraine's ability to project power far beyond the front lines.
Hence, it is not surprising that the deputy chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Volodymyr Horbatiuk, repeatedly emphasized the importance of using drones in modern warfare. Horbatiuk noted that it is "nearly impossible" to conduct the majority of their warfighting functions without drones, listing off examples of their use including for logistics on the battlefield and intercepting aerial threats, as well as striking assets deep inside Russia.
President Zelenskyy echoed this view, arguing that drones have been pivotal in allowing Ukraine to resist Russia's aggression for more than three years, and this technology can now help the U.S. and NATO prepare for the new generation of war.
Some Ukrainian systems have gained particular notoriety due to their effectiveness in the war time.
Consider Reactive Drone's Kazhan ("Bat") drone — the first Ukrainian "heavy bomber" in both quadcopter and hexacopter models that can carry multiple mortar shells, even including powerful 120 mm mortar rounds. The capabilities are exceptional given that the standard bombload is two or more 82 mm mortar bombs.
The E620 Kazhan is also optimized for night attacks and has a maximum payload of 44 pounds for short range attacks. The Kazhan drone is widely used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to hit engineering facilities, vehicles, tanks, and enemy combatants.
This type of drone — combat-proven, versatile, and designed for modern war — could dramatically enhance U.S. capabilities.
Unlike many commercial-grade American drones, which require upgrades for night use, the Kazhan is ready out of the box. Its payload flexibility makes it ideal for counterinsurgency missions, urban warfare, or infrastructure denial operations.
While for the past three years, Ukraine has been a beneficiary of American support, today the Eastern European country has a chance to give back.
Ukraine has an immeasurable firsthand battlefield experience, paid for with the lives of Ukrainian men and women. The first modern war at this scale has allowed us to test what was believed to be the golden standard of Western technology, expose its weaknesses, and improve it with the new technology born in Ukraine.
The U.S. needs to capitalize on these lessons to be able to withstand any future conflict.
Col. Wes Martin, a retired U.S. Army colonel, has served in law enforcement positions around the world and holds a MBA in International Politics and Business. Read reports from Col. Wes Martin — More Here.
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