Latest news with #LivelySabre
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How front-line NATO forces are training to operate and survive one of the Ukraine war's deadliest threats
The Ukraine war has seen a proliferation of drones on both sides of the conflict. NATO allies are closely watching the developing drone war and learning from the battlefield tactics. Military leaders from Finland and Poland told BI how their forces are training with drones. Finland and Poland — two front-line NATO allies that share borders with Russia — are experimenting with new ways of war using drones, military leaders told Business Insider, noting the radical changes unfolding in Ukraine. Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment, said that one of the main lessons from Ukraine is that there is increased transparency on the modern battlefield because of drones, satellites, and other means of surveillance. Building up forces has become much more challenging. Large troop concentrations now have to be assembled on the move, Honko explained to BI last week on the sidelines of the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland, where dispersal and mobility were key focal points for the training. Soldiers are learning to listen for drones and what actions to take in response to reduce their exposure and vulnerability. "Whenever you hear a drone, you cannot know if it's your own or not. So you cannot be sure, because you cannot distinguish it from the sound," Honko said. "It means that you start what I would call: immediate air-cover procedures. You find shelter, you try to disperse yourselves, you try to avoid being detected." He said this also includes counter-drone and other defensive measures that should be taken. He declined to go into specifics about the training scenarios but stressed that they are not yet fully integrated into everyday drills. Cpl. Jimi Järnberg, a soldier of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit of the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, told BI during Lively Sabre that uncrewed systems are excellent surveillance tools that can be used to avoid exposing humans to harm when gathering intel, but the Ukraine war also highlights the danger of turning drones into bombs. This type of weapon — a cheap, commercially available quadcopter drone that carries a small explosive payload, for example — is omnipresent on the battlefield in Ukraine. Both Kyiv and Moscow use them to deliver precision strikes on enemy troops, armored vehicles, and trenches. Drones are widely recognized as the future of war. In Ukraine, they are proving deadlier than artillery, with reports from the front lines indicating they are responsible for roughly 80% of Russian front-line losses. As the world watches these developments, Finland is not alone in recognizing the significance of this threat and integrating new drone tactics into its training. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which participated in Lively Sabre, told BI that his forces are also experimenting with this technology. "We are in the early phase of that," the general said, adding that "we are trying to follow everything that is happening behind the border, like what the Ukrainians are doing." But it's difficult to keep up with the pace of innovation. Strzelecki said he wants to stay up to date, but new drone technology is emerging on the battlefield so fast that sometimes all he can do is observe the changes and wait for the right moment to act. "The war in Ukraine shows the significant role of the lower-level" drones, he explained. "That's something we are developing right now. We are training people how to operate them and waiting to implement the best version of that which will be the most suitable for our unit." He said Polish forces are training to use drones for different types of operations and were using them during Lively Sabre. Polish Capt. Bartosz Januszewski said his forces are using the Israeli-made Orbiter reconnaissance drone, but the country is also starting to develop smaller systems like the quadcopter-style drones that are running rampant in Ukraine. He told BI that Poland wants smaller drones for strike and reconassiance missions. And while the country recognized the need for drones before the Ukraine war, the conflict shows that this is the direction warfare is headed, sparking greater urgency in developing and fielding this tech. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
How front-line NATO forces are training to operate and survive one of the Ukraine war's deadliest threats
Finland and Poland — two front-line NATO allies that share borders with Russia — are experimenting with new ways of war using drones, military leaders told Business Insider, noting the radical changes unfolding in Ukraine. Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment, said that one of the main lessons from Ukraine is that there is increased transparency on the modern battlefield because of drones, satellites, and other means of surveillance. Building up forces has become much more challenging. Large troop concentrations now have to be assembled on the move, Honko explained to BI last week on the sidelines of the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland, where dispersal and mobility were key focal points for the training. Soldiers are learning to listen for drones and what actions to take in response to reduce their exposure and vulnerability. "Whenever you hear a drone, you cannot know if it's your own or not. So you cannot be sure, because you cannot distinguish it from the sound," Honko said. "It means that you start what I would call: immediate air-cover procedures. You find shelter, you try to disperse yourselves, you try to avoid being detected." He said this also includes counter-drone and other defensive measures that should be taken. He declined to go into specifics about the training scenarios but stressed that they are not yet fully integrated into everyday drills. Cpl. Jimi Järnberg, a soldier of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit of the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, told BI during Lively Sabre that uncrewed systems are excellent surveillance tools that can be used to avoid exposing humans to harm when gathering intel, but the Ukraine war also highlights the danger of turning drones into bombs. This type of weapon — a cheap, commercially available quadcopter drone that carries a small explosive payload, for example — is omnipresent on the battlefield in Ukraine. Both Kyiv and Moscow use them to deliver precision strikes on enemy troops, armored vehicles, and trenches. Drones are widely recognized as the future of war. In Ukraine, they are proving deadlier than artillery, with reports from the front lines indicating they are responsible for roughly 80% of Russian front-line losses. As the world watches these developments, Finland is not alone in recognizing the significance of this threat and integrating new drone tactics into its training. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which participated in Lively Sabre, told BI that his forces are also experimenting with this technology. "We are in the early phase of that," the general said, adding that "we are trying to follow everything that is happening behind the border, like what the Ukrainians are doing." But it's difficult to keep up with the pace of innovation. Strzelecki said he wants to stay up to date, but new drone technology is emerging on the battlefield so fast that sometimes all he can do is observe the changes and wait for the right moment to act. "The war in Ukraine shows the significant role of the lower-level" drones, he explained. "That's something we are developing right now. We are training people how to operate them and waiting to implement the best version of that which will be the most suitable for our unit." He said Polish forces are training to use drones for different types of operations and were using them during Lively Sabre. Polish Capt. Bartosz Januszewski said his forces are using the Israeli-made Orbiter reconnaissance drone, but the country is also starting to develop smaller systems like the quadcopter-style drones that are running rampant in Ukraine. He told BI that Poland wants smaller drones for strike and reconassiance missions. And while the country recognized the need for drones before the Ukraine war, the conflict shows that this is the direction warfare is headed, sparking greater urgency in developing and fielding this tech.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We got an inside look at how frontline NATO allies would fight Russia
BI observed Finnish and Polish forces in an exercise simulating a tactical air landing operation. One team seized a strategically located airfield while another had to counterattack and retake it. These kinds of operations are a top Russian military tactic and could prove decisive in a conflict. PYHTÄÄ, Finland — The young soldiers wear dark camouflage and green and black face paint to blend in with the dense forest common on NATO's eastern flank. These conscripts, members of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit within the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and assault rifles. One soldier looks at a paper map, and another calls in instructions on the radio as they scout out recently seized enemy positions. From the nearby road, they cannot be seen. The Finnish soldiers are conducting surveillance operations, but the enemy is not real. It's part of an exercise simulating their reaction to the capture of a strategic airfield, a critical operation that's an expected element of a Russian invasion. Lively Sabre 25, which took place in southern Finland over the past few days, is an element of NATO's larger Swift Response 25 exercise. This event is a series of joint military drills across the Baltic and Nordic regions designed to facilitate cooperation among allies and deter what they see as a serious Russian threat to the east. During Lively Sabre, a "red team," consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish troops, executed a tactical air landing operation at an airstrip in the forest. Paratroopers rapidly seized a strategically located airfield, aiming to hold it and bring in the infantry and heavy weapons to launch a lightning assault from it; Russia used similar tactics in a close battle outside Kyiv in 2022. The 3rd Jaeger Company was part of a "blue team" made up entirely of Finnish troops whose mission was to contain the so-called airhead and then mass strength to retake the site — an operation where time is of the essence. Finland doesn't have an airbone brigade in its military structure, so the exercise is a good opportunity to train on battling paratroopers and learn from skilled professionals — in this case, the Polish forces — how to prepare for a tactical air landing, set up a perimeter around the airfield, and defend the site. Establishing an airhead is not an easy operation, especially in an era of widespread sensors and sophisticated air defenses that can detect and destroy an assault force before it lands. "It's extremely difficult," Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment and the director of Lively Sabre, told Business Insider on the sidelines of the exercise. "There needs to be suppression of the air defense, and there has to be air superiority. You have to be able to actually do lots of things before you can do that." Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which led the tactical air landing, said these operations have become even more difficult now than they were in past years. But having the airborne capabilities is still crucial, especially in the early phases of a conflict, when enemy air defenses aren't necessarily ready. The rapid deployment of troops could make all the difference. "Having that kind of capability is essential," Strzelecki told BI at the Pyhtää airfield. The ability to seize an airstrip and hold the position is important, as is the ability to dislodge it from under enemy control. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago, early on in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. Russian forces tried to capture the Hostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv amid their initial push to capture the Ukrainian capital city. This would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have then airlifted more troops, artillery, and fighting vehicles to strike Kyiv from a minimal distance. Russian helicopters carrying assault troops made an initial assault, but they were met with fierce resistance from Ukraine's military. After hours of heavy fighting and counterattacks, Kyiv eventually controlled the airfield. Swift Response 25, which falls under NATO's larger series of exercises this summer, called Defender, comes as the military alliance grows increasingly concerned with Russia and its behavior across Europe, which Western officials have described as malign and aggressive. Allies, especially those along the northern and eastern flanks, like the Baltic states, are watching the Ukraine war closely. They are investing a lot in their defense capabilities by increasing their military spending, buying up weapons, and reinforcing their borders. European nations are also anxious about US reliability. Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, while Poland has been a member for more than two decades. Both share borders with Russia, so they bring an important perspective to the alliance as countries on its front lines. They are well aware of the Russian threat. Strzelecki said the Lively Sabre exercise helps Poland better integrate its forces with Finland. "Finland is a new member of the alliance, so we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish Army," he said. "Finland has a long tradition of defending against possible aggression from their neighbor." Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along its shared 830-mile-long border with Finland. Should a clash occur between NATO and Moscow, the region could become a major hot spot. Honko said Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already lifted the threshold of threats, and exercises like Lively Sabre are a key element of deterrence that's needed to avoid a real shooting war. "We are in the first line, but then, I think we have a very long tradition of defending our own area by ourselves, and that hasn't changed. In a way, we are a security provider, and not a security consumer," Honko said. Still, he added, "We need the alliance if the day comes, and we can deal with the problem together." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business Insider
We got an inside look at how frontline NATO allies would fight Russia
BI observed Finnish and Polish forces in an exercise simulating a tactical air landing operation. One team seized a strategically located airfield while another had to counterattack and retake it. These kinds of operations are a top Russian military tactic and could prove decisive in a conflict. PYHTÄÄ, Finland — The young soldiers wear dark camouflage and green and black face paint to blend in with the dense forest common on NATO's eastern flank. These conscripts, members of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit within the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and assault rifles. One soldier looks at a paper map, and another calls in instructions on the radio as they scout out recently seized enemy positions. From the nearby road, they cannot be seen. The Finnish soldiers are conducting surveillance operations, but the enemy is not real. It's part of an exercise simulating their reaction to the capture of a strategic airfield, a critical operation that's an expected element of a Russian invasion. Lively Sabre 25, which took place in southern Finland over the past few days, is an element of NATO's larger Swift Response 25 exercise. This event is a series of joint military drills across the Baltic and Nordic regions designed to facilitate cooperation among allies and deter what they see as a serious Russian threat to the east. During Lively Sabre, a "red team," consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish troops, executed a tactical air landing operation at an airstrip in the forest. Paratroopers rapidly seized a strategically located airfield, aiming to hold it and bring in the infantry and heavy weapons to launch a lightning assault from it; Russia used similar tactics in a close battle outside Kyiv in 2022. The 3rd Jaeger Company was part of a "blue team" made up entirely of Finnish troops whose mission was to contain the so-called airhead and then mass strength to retake the site — an operation where time is of the essence. Finland doesn't have an airbone brigade in its military structure, so the exercise is a good opportunity to train on battling paratroopers and learn from skilled professionals — in this case, the Polish forces — how to prepare for a tactical air landing, set up a perimeter around the airfield, and defend the site. Establishing an airhead is not an easy operation, especially in an era of widespread sensors and sophisticated air defenses that can detect and destroy an assault force before it lands. "It's extremely difficult," Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment and the director of Lively Sabre, told Business Insider on the sidelines of the exercise. "There needs to be suppression of the air defense, and there has to be air superiority. You have to be able to actually do lots of things before you can do that." Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which led the tactical air landing, said these operations have become even more difficult now than they were in past years. But having the airborne capabilities is still crucial, especially in the early phases of a conflict, when enemy air defenses aren't necessarily ready. The rapid deployment of troops could make all the difference. "Having that kind of capability is essential," Strzelecki told BI at the Pyhtää airfield. The ability to seize an airstrip and hold the position is important, as is the ability to dislodge it from under enemy control. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago, early on in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. Russian forces tried to capture the Hostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv amid their initial push to capture the Ukrainian capital city. This would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have then airlifted more troops, artillery, and fighting vehicles to strike Kyiv from a minimal distance. Russian helicopters carrying assault troops made an initial assault, but they were met with fierce resistance from Ukraine's military. After hours of heavy fighting and counterattacks, Kyiv eventually controlled the airfield. Swift Response 25, which falls under NATO's larger series of exercises this summer, called Defender, comes as the military alliance grows increasingly concerned with Russia and its behavior across Europe, which Western officials have described as malign and aggressive. Allies, especially those along the northern and eastern flanks, like the Baltic states, are watching the Ukraine war closely. They are investing a lot in their defense capabilities by increasing their military spending, buying up weapons, and reinforcing their borders. European nations are also anxious about US reliability. Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, while Poland has been a member for more than two decades. Both share borders with Russia, so they bring an important perspective to the alliance as countries on its front lines. They are well aware of the Russian threat. Strzelecki said the Lively Sabre exercise helps Poland better integrate its forces with Finland. "Finland is a new member of the alliance, so we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish Army," he said. "Finland has a long tradition of defending against possible aggression from their neighbor." Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along its shared 830-mile-long border with Finland. Should a clash occur between NATO and Moscow, the region could become a major hot spot. Honko said Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already lifted the threshold of threats, and exercises like Lively Sabre are a key element of deterrence that's needed to avoid a real shooting war. "We are in the first line, but then, I think we have a very long tradition of defending our own area by ourselves, and that hasn't changed. In a way, we are a security provider, and not a security consumer," Honko said. Still, he added, "We need the alliance if the day comes, and we can deal with the problem together."
