Ukraine war inspires Pentagon drone testing push amid Alaska field trials

Remote Alaska became a testing ground in late June as five drone firms joined a Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) event to trial uncrewed systems against simulated electronic warfare (EW) threats. For most companies, it was the first time operating outside a lab. The trial, held near the US Army’s Fort Wainwright, aimed to assess whether these drones could withstand jamming and be ready for military fielding.

Early results exposed gaps. While some companies made strides by day four, many struggled to maintain flight paths and targets. DIU officials said this was expected. The goal was to test how firms responded under failure, forcing rapid iteration, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“If we want to succeed, we have to embed engineers with warfighters, and we have to be out in the field testing,” said DIU’s Trent Emeneker. “We have to do it all the time.”

DIU launched initiatives like Project G.I. and the Range Strike Group to create more opportunities for small firms to test under real-world military conditions. But field access and regulatory barriers—especially those from the FAA and FCC—continue to hinder testing outside restricted military airspace.

Originally, DIU considered staging EW tests in Ukraine. “There’s no better place in the world to test,” Emeneker said. Ukraine’s war-driven innovation and field experience with drones have become a benchmark for rapid development.

Chris Bonzagni, a former DIU manager now aiding US drone firms in Ukraine, said, “In Ukraine, these guys are not afraid to fail and they’re doing it because they have to do it and there’s necessity there.” However, he noted, “The well-capitalized startups that can invest that time and invest that equipment are able to do so and the smaller startups are definitely prohibited.”

Despite Ukraine’s appeal, shifting US political dynamics following Donald Trump’s re-election and longstanding military hesitance made official testing there infeasible. DIU instead selected Alaska for its remoteness and minimal signal interference, securing support from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division.

On-site, legacy EW gear—over 20 years old—struggled to affect modern drones. “We’re trying to take a two-decade-old piece of equipment and tool it to a modern day [threat],” said Sgt. Peter Spurgeon. By shifting to GNSS jamming, the division made gains.

Lt. Col. Scott Smith said these tests help operators adapt and reveal capability gaps. “The Army Transformation Initiative that was recently pushed out, it’s like ‘Hey, we’ve got to get more agile and more flexible,’” he said. “We think this fits right in with that.”

By Vafa Guliyeva