US Army Rethinks Air Threats After Ukraine War Lessons

Soldiers must be more vigilant against enemy drones and aircraft as air supremacy can no longer be assumed.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The war in Ukraine has shown the US military that it can no longer assume it will have complete control of the air in future conflicts. This is forcing the Army to rethink its tactics, training, and mindset, as soldiers must now be more suspicious and ready to take cover from enemy drones and aircraft at all times. The Army's new Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course is teaching soldiers to be constantly on the alert and mobile to avoid being targeted from above.

Why it matters

The US has enjoyed air superiority in recent conflicts, allowing its forces to move and strike with little fear of enemy aircraft. But the war in Ukraine, where neither side has been able to secure lasting air dominance, demonstrates that this may not be the case in future wars. This shift has major implications for how the US military trains and equips its soldiers to operate in an environment where the skies are contested.

The details

The Army's new drone warfare course is training soldiers to adopt a "pessimistic or suspicious" mindset towards anything in the air, since they may not have time to determine if a drone is friendly or hostile before being engaged. This marks a major shift from recent conflicts where what was overhead was usually friendly. The course is also teaching soldiers that "mobility is survivability" and they may need to constantly move to avoid being spotted and targeted by enemy drones and aircraft.

  • The US Army's new Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course was recently launched to catch up on small drone warfare tactics.

The players

Maj. Rachel Martin

The director of the Army's new Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course, which is designed to prepare soldiers for the threat of enemy drones and aircraft.

Carl Larson

An Iraq war veteran who served in Ukraine's International Legion and spoke about the constant presence of enemy drones and artillery, which he said was "a horrendous detriment to morale" for soldiers.

Jackie

A veteran of urban warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq who served in Ukraine and said there was nowhere for soldiers to really relax, as they were constantly under the threat of drones and artillery.

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What they’re saying

“We are used to air supremacy as an Army. Just about every event we've ever been a part of, we own the air. Ukraine is demonstrating that may not be the case.”

— Maj. Rachel Martin, Director of the Army's Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course (Business Insider)

“When they hear the sound of a drone, they immediately deploy a cover, they jump into a house or hide under a bunker, and they don't even wait around to find out if it's theirs or not. They just assume that it's there to hurt them.”

— Maj. Rachel Martin, Director of the Army's Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course (Business Insider)

“Drones are a horrendous detriment to morale because they mean soldiers often can't move out of their bunkers or other positions during the day. That is incredibly corrosive to your ability to conduct combat operations.”

— Carl Larson, Iraq war veteran who served in Ukraine's International Legion (Business Insider)

What’s next

The Army's new drone warfare course will continue training soldiers to be more vigilant and mobile in the face of enemy air threats, as the military prepares for the possibility of future conflicts where air superiority can no longer be assumed.

The takeaway

The war in Ukraine has been a wake-up call for the US military, showing that the days of uncontested air dominance may be over. This is forcing the Army to fundamentally rethink how it trains and equips soldiers to operate in an environment where the skies are contested, with major implications for tactics, mindset, and survivability.