Lessons from Ukraine: U.S. and NATO Forces Must Adapt and Learn

Strategic Insights -

U.S. and NATO forces must prioritize learning from the battles fought on Ukrainian soil, according to senior Ukrainian army leaders who shared their insights at the Association of the U.S. Army's inaugural LANDEURO Symposium in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Ukrainian forces have displayed unwavering resilience, adapting and improvising in all domains, including the cyber domain, and have made significant gains in their battle against Russian aggression. The U.S. Army, joint force, and NATO must seize the opportunity to learn from Ukraine's experiences, with Lt. Gen. Curtis Buzzard emphasizing the importance of adaptability, endurance, and will in the face of a rapidly changing character of war.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ukraine's battle is not only their own, but a battle for civilization against terrorism, as stated by Commander Robert Brovdi, commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces.
  • The pivotal battle in March 2022 in Kyiv was a "groundbreaking precedent" for the ongoing war, as highlighted by Maj. Gen. Volodymyr Horbatiuk, deputy chief of the general staff for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
  • Ukrainian troops have endured 1,239 days of unwavering resilience, eliminating an average of 1,000 enemy personnel every 24 hours, as stated by Horbatiuk.
  • Ukraine's will, endurance, and adaptability are crucial lessons for the U.S. Army, joint force, and NATO, according to Lt. Gen. Curtis Buzzard.
  • The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of human-machine integration, live data, and the quantity of data, as emphasized by Buzzard.
  • Ukrainian forces have made significant gains, with 12 military units of pilots, 95% of whom are civilians, making up only 2% of the armed forces but accounting for every third enemy fighter killed and every fourth strike.
  • Russia's use of Shahed one-way attack drones has brought terror and destruction to Ukraine's people and infrastructure, but Ukrainian forces persist.

Statistics:

  • 1,239 days: duration of Ukraine's unwavering resilience
  • 1,000: average number of enemy personnel eliminated every 24 hours
  • 2%: percentage of Ukrainian forces that are 12 military units of pilots, with 95% of personnel being civilians
  • 95%: percentage of Ukrainian pilots who are civilians
  • Hundreds: number of Shahed drones used by Russia every day

Sources:

  • Association of the United States Army (July 16): "Ukraine shares lessons from battlefields with US and NATO troops"
  • AUSA Books Program (undated): "AUSA Book Program offers quality books about Army heritage, military theory and policy, and security in the modern world"