Ukraine's Experience Saved the US Army from a Strategic Mistake - Pentagon.

Air And Space Forces Magazine reports that Ukraine's experience in using drones against Russian invaders helped the US Army avoid strategic mistakes in developing its own drone systems.

In September 2023, the Pentagon launched the Replicator program, aimed at supplying US troops with drones and counter-drone systems. Aditi Kumar, Deputy Director of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Office, noted that the first phase of this program, which includes the delivery of thousands of 'cheap autonomous platforms', is expected to be completed by July 2025. After that, the second phase will begin - the supply of counter-drone systems.

Aditi Kumar stated that Ukraine's experience has been extremely valuable for the Pentagon. Ukrainians demonstrate a great speed in updating their drones' software to maintain effectiveness in combat conditions. She said: 'Ukraine's experience has been very helpful for us, showing that software updates can be done in three to four weeks, which is incredibly fast and cost-effective.'

According to Kumar, the Pentagon traditionally allocated insufficient funds for software updates in American weapons, making the update process slow. She emphasized that this practice needs to change.