Intense missile and drone attacks in global conflicts are showing the U.S. Army how it needs to train its air defenders, as well as how to protect them from emerging threats, Army officials said. Lessons on protecting MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and crews are coming in, and Army leaders say those observations are being quickly incorporated into training to help troops keep pace with evolving tactics.
In their war against Ukraine, Russian forces have hunted Patriot batteries and other air-defense systems while also trying to overwhelm them with complex barrages of one-way attack drones alongside ballistic and cruise missiles. This dynamic has provided vital lessons in mobility, concealment, deception, and dispersal. Meanwhile, operations in the Middle East have exposed American and allied air defenders to the challenge of defending against large-scale drone and missile bombardments while managing critical interceptor stocks.
Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, the head of Army Space and Missile Defense Command, told reporters at the Association of the United States Army conference that air defenders have proven to be the most aggressive community in the Army for learning lessons from Ukraine, placing a sharp emphasis on survivability and the safeguarding of critical assets. When he took command earlier this year, Rafferty made examining how those observations were put into action a primary focus, noting that command teams have taken steps to protect soldiers, sensors, and Patriot systems through active camouflage and deception.
Officials with the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command told reporters that observations from Ukraine are shared directly with its headquarters at Fort Bliss, Texas, where training materials for air defense soldiers are updated. The information is also distributed across the broader Army and shared with industry partners.
The 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command recently transferred to the Army Space and Missile Defense Command and is tasked with missile defense planning across multiple regions. Its responsibilities encompass active defenses, such as intercepting incoming missiles, and passive measures, including camouflage, dispersal, intelligence coordination, and command-and-control operations.
Rafferty and other officials noted that operations in the Middle East have stress-tested American air defense units, providing valuable data. According to Rafferty, roughly 2,500 soldiers from his command are deployed to the Middle East, consisting of air defense formations and space specialists.
Approximately 25% to 30% of the command’s air defense formations are currently deployed. These forces consist primarily of Patriot units and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile defense crews.
Col. Matthew Ingils, deputy commanding officer for operations with the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, explained that insights gathered from the Middle East are fed directly back to other brigades in the formation. Lessons include the specific types of threats encountered, along with the scale, scope, and complexity of operations, allowing new formations and incoming soldiers to quickly catch up.
Because the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East present distinct challenges, the Army is able to draw from a broader range of lessons for its training programs. To prepare soldiers to counter new threats and employ modern tactics, the military utilizes combat simulations that are continuously updated with frontline insights from both theaters.
Recent conflicts have underscored that air defenses are essential for intercepting incoming missiles and drones, protecting critical assets, and challenging adversary aircraft. However, the heavy expenditure of air-defense interceptors and other munitions has raised concerns regarding whether the U.S. maintains sufficient stockpiles for future major conflicts. Simultaneously, air defenders themselves have become high-priority targets for enemy forces, making mobility, dispersal, and camouflage increasingly vital to unit survival.
