The Norwegian Army has conducted a remarkable exercise to develop new defense strategies against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using tactics observed on the battlefields in Ukraine. Held in Northern Norway in March 2025, the Norwegian Army has conducted a remarkable exercise to develop new defense strategies against these systems. Common Viking 2025 The exercise used tennis balls to simulate attacks on Norwegian armoured vehicles. The aim of the exercise was to test how different types of UAVs could be deployed and to develop defensive tactics against these threats.
Simulation of Attacking Tanks with Tennis Balls
As part of the exercise, first-person view (FPV) drones, which have been shown to be effective in the war between Ukraine and Russia, were tested. These drones were guided by experienced operators and directed to open hatches of tanks and armored vehicles. In order to simulate a real war scenario, tennis balls were dropped from the drones instead of ammunition.
Norwegian Army testing unmanned technologies Combat Lab Major Tor Sellevold, who is on duty at the center, stated that more than 30 tennis balls were dropped onto targets with FPV drones during the exercise. This experiment was recorded as the first large-scale test conducted by the Norwegian Army with attack drones on this scale.
The Impact of the Ukraine War on UAV Strategies
The war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of drones in modern warfare strategies. Ukraine has gained an advantage on the battlefield with cheap and fast-producing FPV drones. These drones have been made faster and have longer ranges compared to their initial capabilities, increasing their ability to target large platforms such as combat helicopters.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine recently Drone Line announced the project. This project aims to create a 15-kilometer "kill zone" along the front line. The plan aims to use both surveillance and attack drones. The Norwegian Army is also following these developments closely and is shaping its own strategies accordingly.
Norwegian Army's Long-Range UAV Plans
The Norwegian Army is taking a different approach to drones for use on the battlefield. Norway’s military intelligence unit plans to use UAVs from a greater distance rather than as close to the front lines, an unnamed officer told Defense News.
The officer added that Norway plans to purchase drones with long-range cameras that will be better suited to Arctic conditions. These new systems, which can operate in cold weather conditions and provide a wide surveillance area, are expected to strengthen Norway's military intelligence capabilities.
US-Made Puma Drone Also Used
During the exercise, a US-made aircraft manufactured by AeroVironment was used Puma The drone was also deployed to perform surveillance missions. The Puma is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed for long-range surveillance and reconnaissance missions and was evaluated as an indicator that the Norwegian Army could use such systems more actively in the future.
The Role of UAVs is Increasing in Future Wars
This exercise conducted by the Norwegian Army stands out as an important step in understanding the threat that unmanned aerial vehicles pose in modern warfare and how defenses should be developed against these threats. While the facts revealed by the war in Ukraine prove the effectiveness of unmanned systems on the battlefield, NATO countries are also trying different strategies to strengthen their defenses against these new threats.
These simulations developed by Norway are of great importance in developing effective defense tactics against UAVs. The use of long-range drones suitable for the conditions specific to the Arctic region could play an important role in Norway's future military strategies. All these developments show that unmanned systems will become even more decisive on the battlefield in the future.
