Drone-dominated war game exposes NATO gaps, prompts calls for drastic doctrine overhaul

Estonia hosted Hedgehog 2025, a NATO exercise where 10 Ukrainian drone specialists using Ukraine’s Delta system fused drone feeds, satellites and frontline data to simulate rapid detection and strikes, allegedly destroying 17 armored vehicles and triggering dozens of hits in hours. The drill reportedly rendered two NATO battalions combat-ineffective in a single day, underscoring NATO’s ongoing unpreparedness for drone-centric warfare and highlighting the need to rewrite doctrine, force structures and training to reflect these new realities.