NATO Uses Ukrainian Forces and Unmanned Vessels in Exercises

Adm. Pierre Vandier said NATO exercises have used Ukrainian forces and Ukrainian-made unmanned surface vessels against the alliance’s blue force, the term for the force being tested. He said the approach draws on Ukraine’s experience to prompt adaptation within NATO.

Key details

• Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reportedly said Ukrainian red-team forces prevailed in five of five maritime scenarios at the 2025 REPMUS exercises off Portugal.
• The ministry attributed some of those results to unmanned surface vessels.
• Vandier said military operations, including amphibious operations, need defenses against naval and aerial drones and the ability to counter drone swarms.
• NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre runs an initiative called Fight Club as part of a five-year campaign. It brings external experts and NATO personnel together to examine concepts and doctrine through hypothetical military scenarios.

Ukrainian red-team forces prevailed in five of five maritime scenarios at the 2025 REPMUS exercises off Portugal, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.