A war-gaming exercise found that a ten-strong Ukrainian drone unit was able to destroy an entire British Army brigade, prompting a defence expert to warn that NATO forces remain roughly a decade behind Russia's battlefield capabilities. The simulation highlights growing concern among Western military analysts that conventional heavy units, of the kind Britain and its allies still rely on, are dangerously vulnerable to the cheap, mass-produced drone tactics refined by both sides during the war in Ukraine.

The exercise underscores how drone warfare, honed through years of fighting in Ukraine, has outpaced the doctrine, equipment and training of NATO militaries, according to the expert cited. The disparity raises questions about whether the alliance, including the British Army, is adequately prepared for a future conflict against a technologically adapted adversary such as Russia, and adds to pressure for urgent modernisation of drone and counter-drone capabilities.