Wilson in the World: NATO Prepares for Drone War with Russia

Wilson Center Distinguished Fellow Jill Dougherty reports from the Estonia-Russia border, where NATO recently executed Spring Storm 26, a massive military exercise peaking at 12,000 troops, including battlefield experts from Ukraine.

The traditional script of Russian tanks just rolling across the border is being rewritten. Based on critical lessons from the war in Ukraine, NATO forces are preparing for a brutal, three-dimensional battlefield: Heavy armor and ground troops, mass drone warfare, and aggressive cyber attacks. 

Commanders admit that while NATO is learning rapidly from Ukraine's experiences, Russia is adapting just as fast, fundamentally changing how the alliance prepares for a potential conflict.