Danish Defence drone training has begun at the NATO training grounds near Ādaži, Latvia, where Denmark’s armed forces (Forsvaret) are testing how to fight with and against attack drones alongside allied units.
The training—observed by Danish officers at Camp Valdemar and coordinated with Latvia’s Multinational Division North (MND‑N)—is a pilot for a new drone training programme to be rolled out across all Danish combat units.
Why training with and against attack drones matters
On today’s battlefields, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are pivotal for reconnaissance, targeting and strike. Danish commanders describe drones as a “new weapon in the toolbox,” underlining how quickly tactics are evolving at the front and in NATO exercises. Beyond first‑person‑view (FPV) drones, the programme covers surveillance platforms, loitering munitions and counter‑drone measures, preparing soldiers to operate under constant aerial observation and to mitigate low‑cost, high‑impact threats.
Latvian lessons from Ukraine: from tactics to doctrine
Denmark is leveraging Latvia’s battlefield experience gathered through extensive cooperation with Ukraine. Latvian officers emphasise that competence goes beyond flying: the decisive step is developing coordinated tactics and doctrine, where one drone observes, another strikes, and infantry manoeuvres exploit the effect.
According to trainers at Ādaži, individual piloting skills can be taught rapidly, but mastering combined drone operations takes sustained practice.
A new drone training programme for all combat units
Forsvaret frames the Latvia deployment as a testbed for a structured drone curriculum. The aim is to standardise procedures—mission planning, target identification, electromagnetic discipline, deconfliction with artillery and aviation, and safe handling—so that every combat unit can integrate drones and counter‑drone techniques into routine training. The emphasis is on continuous adaptation, recognising that hardware and countermeasures change fast.
NATO framework: Camp Valdemar and Multinational Division North
The Danish battalion trains from Camp Valdemar at the Ādaži base, where it forms part of NATO’s Multinational Brigade Latvia, under the operational umbrella of Multinational Division North (MND‑N) led by Danish Major General Jette Albinus.
This setting allows Denmark to cross‑train with allies, share standard operating procedures, and align drone tactics with NATO deterrence and defence on the Alliance’s eastern flank.
What remains uncertain—and why it matters for Europe
While the pilot confirms rapid uptake of drone capabilities, key uncertainties remain: how quickly training can scale across the force; how to resource counter‑UAS at unit level; and how allied lessons from Ukraine will translate into NATO doctrine.
For the Nordic‑Baltic region and the EU, Denmark’s approach points to a pragmatic model: pair national efforts with Baltic expertise, institutionalise training, and update tactics continuously to keep pace with emerging threats.
