Operation Kull

Estonian Military and European Armed Forces sought to rapidly upskill in UAS operations as drone warfare reshapes the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In a single focused training day, operators moved from limited exposure to confidently assembling, maintaining and flying their own FPV systems – building both technical and operational confidence.

In addition to the practical skills, this was about shifting mindset: understanding how UAS changes mission planning, risk exposure, and tactical decision-making in a modern conflict environment.

UAS and counter-UAS capabilities are nascent in Estonia, and SF operators need to upskill themselves in the face of ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The Bandit FPV platform mirrors the low-cost systems deployed in Ukraine. It is assembled, disassembled and maintained in the same way, making it ideal for training on a modern, inexpensive platform that reflects real-world battlefield conditions.

Operator-Owned Deployment Model:

• Soldiers were personally responsible for one system each
• Soldiers assembled, maintained, and flew their own UAS under the initial instruction of S2 trainers

Flight & Training Profile:

• Mostly groundwork and maintenance instruction
• Each operator flew at least once

Operational Focus:

• Manual flight only – focus on building fundamental stick skills and spatial awareness

Integrations:

• The Bandit training system integrates with COT’s controllers and goggles.

As a result of the training, 100% of personnel understood the current UAS ecosystem by the end of the day and were able to fly short UAS sorties with minimal assistance.

Mission-Level Outcomes:

• Increased effectiveness in a UAS-dominated battlefield 
• Skills acquired to maintain and fly lightweight UAS.

Competence was achieved rapidly. Within six hours, operators were proficient in assembling, maintaining and flying short UAS sorties with minimal assistance. What began as curiosity quickly shifted to ownership and confidence.

The presence of the system changed how the squad viewed both problems and its operational toolkit. One operator reflected,

“Having not integrated UAS into our operations, I can now see so many ways it will improve operations.”

The team recognised that large portions of future missions could now be conducted remotely, reducing direct risk to personnel.

Training in the field reveals what slides and simulations never can. These sessions are invaluable for our team.

Problems faced on the day:

• The setup of the drone was confusing at times
• The environment affected the quality of video link sometimes due to the buildings between the operator and target

Immediate mitigations were practical and effective:

• Understanding of operator positioning and considering obstacles

Looking forward, priority refinements are clear:

• Simplify system setup as much as possible, ensuring that ease of use matches operational urgency

Following the training session, an end-of-day debrief provided next-steps for all parties to increase collaboration and training moving forward. 

“We have to look at using this in our operations, our adversaries are doing it extensively and it is without question a capability we need to be aware of and use”

****  **** , Participant