American military personnel have been sent to Ukraine to study modern drone warfare and integrate Ukrainian battlefield experience into the US Army, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during Senate hearings.
His remarks came amid preparations for a new defense agreement between Washington and Kyiv that could open the door for joint US-Ukrainian drone production.
Pentagon studies Ukrainian experience as US seeks to adapt “drone warfare” for its own military
During the hearing, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell asked Hegseth whether there were restrictions on senior American officials traveling to Ukraine.
In response, the Pentagon chief said the US had already sent numerous military representatives to Ukraine to study the modern battlefield.
According to Hegseth, he personally approved the deployment of additional personnel to learn how drones are used in both offensive and defensive operations.
That is why this budget includes so much funding for the ‘Drone Dominance’ initiative — to absorb the lessons learned in Ukraine and from other battlefields and apply them across all branches of the armed forces as quickly as possible, the Pentagon chief said.
“Ukraine is the Silicon Valley of warfare”: US acknowledges Kyiv’s tech breakthrough
During the hearing, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll described Ukraine as the “Silicon Valley of warfare.”
Hegseth confirmed that Washington views Ukrainian combat experience as critically important for modernizing the American military in the era of FPV drones, autonomous systems, and digital battlefields.
According to him, the US aims to integrate the lessons of the war in Ukraine into its own defense strategy in real time.
US and Ukraine prepare new defense agreement focused on drones and technology exports
Hegseth’s statements came alongside reports about preparations for a new defense memorandum between the US and Ukraine.
According to CBS News, the governments of both countries have already approved a draft document outlining the framework for future defense cooperation.
The document was coordinated by the US State Department and Ukraine’s ambassador, Olha Stefanishyna.
The agreement would create a mechanism allowing Ukraine to export military technologies to the US and launch joint drone production projects with American companies.
In practice, Washington is acknowledging that Ukraine’s battlefield experience in drones, electronic warfare, and digital combat has already become one of the key drivers transforming modern militaries around the world.
