Teaching the humans in the loop: supporting and integrating Ukraine's unmanned systems training into Europe's Security Architecture
The rapid pace of innovation means that European militaries need to adapt to drone warfare, including new modalities of training. Debates and actions to procure unmanned systems and adopt them across domains are gaining traction. However, the manning of unmanned systems(UxS) and the training of their operators has remained chronically under-researched.
This Strategic Update examines what European partners can learn from the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s implementation of UxS training, calling for a drone training-industrial complex for unmanned systems in Europe to implement these lessons. The ultimate output of such training should not merely be effective systems but, above all, adaptive soldiers.
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Teaching the humans in the loop: supporting and integrating Ukraine's unmanned systems training into Europe's Security Architecture
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About the Authors:
Oliver Gill is Ukraine Programme Manager and Principal Researcher for the Democratic Resilience in a New Age of War Programme at LSE IDEAS. After completing a master’s in international relations at King’s College London with a focus on information warfare and AI, his research now focuses on Black Sea security, Ukrainian defence innovation, information and influence operations, training in the armed forces, and emerging and disruptive technologies’ impact on defence and security. Oliver also operates the Education for Victory capacity building programme, bringing together senior civil servants, business and third sector workers, and military personnel to address the challenges of reconstruction and recovery.
Jon-Wyatt "Jack" Matlack is Project Associate for the Democratic Resilience in a New Age of War at LSE IDEAS Programme. Previously, Jack was a visiting fellow at IDEAS, the Centre for Military History of the German Armed Forces, and the University of Regensburg, where he submitted his PhD. His research focuses on NATO maritime strategy, multinational alliances, adaptive governance in Ukraine, and unmanned systems training in the armed forces.