Army looking into using 2 U.S. ranges for testing to mimic Ukraine's conditions

The U.S. Army is preparing to create at least two domestic training ranges within the next four to six weeks, designed to replicate the complex and contested environments found on Ukrainian battlefields. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced the initiative, emphasizing its role in testing electronic warfare capabilities and fostering collaboration between drone manufacturers and counter-drone technology developers.

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You can have a kind of electronic warfare and all of the contested environment created, and you can have drone manufacturers and counter-drone tool-builders engaging together.

"You can have a kind of electronic warfare and all of the contested environment created, and you can have drone manufacturers and counter-drone tool-builders engaging together," Driscoll told reporters. He added, "Then, we also want soldiers to be able to go there, so that they can strengthen their skills and work hand-in-hand with developers."

While the Army already utilizes existing U.S. facilities for safe testing and is exploring international ranges for more extensive trials, these new domestic sites aim to provide a realistic training ground. Current counter-drone training sometimes omits electronic jamming due to domestic restrictions, a gap these new ranges may help address. Driscoll made these remarks during an Army industry day focused on accelerating the development of drone and missile interception systems.

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Then, we also want soldiers to be able to go there, so that they can strengthen their skills and work hand-in-hand with developers.

Highlighting the scale of the threat, Dwayne Hayes of the Army's Strategic Threats Office stated that Russia produces an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 one-way attack drones and up to 600,000 smaller FPV drones monthly. Ukraine counters with approximately 30,000 interceptor drones per month. Hayes noted the U.S. excels at producing high-cost, advanced munitions like Patriot and THAAD missiles but urgently needs cheaper, expendable interceptors suitable for a war of attrition.

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Russia is producing about 3,000 to 5,000 one-way attack drones, like Shaheds, per month and roughly 600,000 per month of the smaller first-person-view drones.

In response to production speed and cost challenges, the Army is soliciting proposals for more affordable interceptors. Driscoll acknowledged the effectiveness of current "exquisite" munitions, likening them to "Ferraris," but stressed the need for supplementary, less costly options to effectively counter the evolving threat landscape.

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This is not intended to replace the solutions that we have, they're incredible.