The US Army is training Polish special forces in Germany to infiltrate enemy-held territory and carry out a simulated drone strikes.
US Army Green Berets are training Polish special forces in Germany to infiltrate enemy-held territory and carry out a simulated drone strike in an exercise shaped by battlefield lessons from the war in Ukraine, the AP reported.
The multi-day drill covers approximately 3,000 square kilometers (1,100 square miles) of the Bavarian countryside and begins at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, in southern Germany.
Although US special forces have completed the exercise twice since it was developed earlier this year, Poland is the first NATO ally to participate.
Under the scenario, a US Army airborne infantry unit parachutes into a closed training area at Hohenfels and establishes a simulated front line.
Polish troops must cross that line undetected and travel north for about 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the Grafenwoehr training area.
Once there, they are expected to destroy a simulated target in a drone strike.
A US soldier is participating in a counter-drone training in Poland. Photo: Staff Sgt. Jasmine McCarthy/DVIDS
Behind Enemy Lines
The exercise aims to replicate the challenges encountered by both Ukrainian and Russian forces along a route that crosses forests, farmland, villages, and a populated urban area.
According to the AP, most local residents are unaware that the exercise is taking place.
Polish troops must avoid attracting civilian attention and evade the simulated enemy.
Any reports of suspicious individuals made to the police are passed to the US military and can be used to locate the team.
US forces playing the enemy are using drones to search for the Polish unit.
In previous iterations, the US Army unit playing the enemy had access to more than 100 drones to search for the special forces team.
If the troops are spotted, military police with tracking dogs can be sent after them, while additional drones can be redirected to their location.
Soldiers may also be declared captured or killed during the exercise.
The US Army plans to conduct the exercise several times a year and expects other NATO members to show interest.
