US army to establish domestic test ranges simulating Ukraine battlefield conditions

The U.S. Army plans to establish at least two domestic training ranges within the next four to six weeks, designed to replicate conditions seen on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, CBS News reports.

“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 on June 23. “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.”

He said the new facilities will allow troops and defence companies to test technologies in realistic combat-like conditions, particularly focusing on electronic warfare and drone threats. Driscoll added that the Army already has some safe testing locations within the United States, while also exploring the creation of a separate overseas range for “much more aggressive testing,” including hypersonic systems. He declined to provide details on potential locations.

Current counter-drone training in the U.S. does not always include electronic jamming, in part due to domestic restrictions on its use, according to reporting cited during the briefing.

Driscoll made the remarks during an industry event aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Pentagon and defence companies working on systems to intercept drones and missiles.

Dwayne Hayes, an official with the Army’s Strategic Threats Office, said Russia is producing large volumes of unmanned systems, stating that Russia produces 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. He added that Ukraine produces about 30,000 interceptor drones per month in response.

Hayes said the U.S. remains highly capable in producing advanced, high-cost weapons systems such as Patriot and THAAD interceptors, but stressed the need for cheaper, more expendable alternatives suited for prolonged conflicts.

The shift comes as global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and recent fighting involving Iran, have highlighted concerns about the speed and scale of Western defence production. President Donald Trump has met with major defence contractors this year and is expected to hold further discussions with industry leaders this week to push for increased output.

Companies including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and L3Harris are among those involved in producing advanced missile defence systems, some of which cost between $4 million and $5 million per interceptor.

At the same time, the Army is seeking broader industry participation for lower-cost interceptor systems expected to be more suitable for high-volume warfare scenarios.

“This is not intended to replace the solutions that we have — they're incredible,” Driscoll said. He told industry participants, “They've been described as the 'Ferrari' of products, and it is, but we need some other things to supplement those products.”

By Sabina Mammadli