The course was organised by the European Defence Agency and the Latvian Armed Forces. EDA said the activity marked a major step towards a European military drone training programme.
The training took place at the Selonia military area in Latvia. It focused on advanced scenarios designed to help participants prepare for realistic battlefield conditions.
“Countries recognise that drone piloting and operations should be a core military skill, similar to firearm training, and included in basic military instruction,” said João Caetano, EDA’s Project Officer UAS Programmes. “It is essential that UAS operators from EU Member States train together on common tactics, techniques and procedures.”
Selonia is the largest military training ground in the Baltics. EDA said trainees operated under field conditions that simulated realistic operational environments.
Participants carried out exercises against static and moving targets. These included engagements in trenches and forests, as well as operations against mechanised manned and unmanned platforms, including unmanned ground vehicles.
The training also covered the interception of fixed-wing drones that mimic Russian one-way attack drones. Participants carried out long-range operations over distances of several dozen kilometres, night operations and the use of thermal imaging systems.
“In this training area, we can conduct a wide range of exercises that are almost impossible in some other EU countries due to high population density and busy airspace,” said Major Modris Kairišs, Head of Latvian Autonomous Systems Competence Centre. “Latvia offers a unique opportunity to develop and expand this kind of test range.”
“This is also why we have a lot of UAV producers in the country whose equipment can be used,” Kairišs said. The exercises were designed by instructors from the Latvian Autonomous Systems Competence Centre to encourage joint missions and cooperation among trainees.
“Training with operators from other EU countries is very important,” said a trainee from the Irish Armed Forces. “We share different experiences and build further cooperation.”
“It’s also important to train in field conditions to properly learn how to operate the equipment,” the Irish trainee said. EDA said the course reflected the growing importance of drone operators in modern military training.
In parallel with the course, Latvia hosted EDA’s UAS Operational Users’ Symposium and Working Group. The event brought together more than 40 military experts, industry representatives and partner nations.
The discussions focused on the design of a new EDA project to deliver advanced UAS training courses across Europe. EDA said the project should build on experience from Ukraine and expand the initial one-time course into a long-term European programme and network for military drone operations.
“The European Defence Agency developed a military helicopter training that became the Multinational Helicopter Training Centre in Portugal. That is our model,” said Caetano. “For UAS, we also start with a joint and combined training, bringing together national expertise.”
“Our objective is to build a network of training centres, a fully-fledged training programme, and integrate with existing exercises such as the Titan Sky,” Caetano said. EDA said the Latvia training marked a significant step towards stronger European defence cooperation and a shared operational capability in unmanned systems.
