The British Army is drawing directly on Ukrainian frontline experience to shape its drone training, with commanders saying roughly 60 hours of instruction — split between simulator and field flying — is sufficient to reach basic competency. Lt. Col. Ben Irwin-Clark, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, told reporters the minimum training package is about 30 hours on simulators and 30 hours of live flying, a mix he says prepares soldiers to operate different types of drones. “At about 60 hours, they are pretty competent at being able to fly different types of drones,” he said.
Simulated training is being used to teach controls, navigation and emergency procedures in a safe environment, while real-world flying exposes trainees to wind, terrain and mission pressures that only field experience can provide. Irwin-Clark added that skill levels continue to rise with more practice and exposure to varied platforms: “It’s an upward curve in terms of how good they can get. It takes practice.”
The Irish Guards’ deployment came as part of Operation Interflex, a UK-led training initiative that involves 13 countries and aims to pass on Western and NATO-style tactics to Ukrainian forces. In turn, Ukrainian troops have shared practical lessons from combat operations — tactics, countermeasures and maintenance tips — which the British unit has incorporated into its training approach.
The U.S. Army has taken a similar route, prioritizing simulator hours before live flights in courses such as the Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course at Fort Rucker, according to Maj. Wolf Amacker of the Army’s Aviation Centre of Excellence. Based on Ukrainian advice, the battalion has also added measures like anti-drone nets and 3D orienting for drone parts.
Of the battalion’s roughly 300 soldiers, 78 are now trained as drone pilots or instructors; Irwin-Clark described the unit as the British Army’s first dedicated drone hub, a capability not yet mirrored elsewhere in the service.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/simulation-field-training-ukraine-holds-drone-masterclass-for-uk-army-10987391#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-02-11 16:40:00
