Lithuania concludes Iron Wolf 2026 drills with focus on drone warfare and NATO integration

The Lithuanian Armed Forces have completed the two-week Iron Wolf 2026 exercises, testing drone capabilities in both defensive and offensive operations alongside NATO allies and civilian agencies, the military announced on Friday.

Over 150 reconnaissance and attack drones—developed in cooperation with Lithuania’s defence industry—were deployed during the drills to refine tactics for combat, logistics protection, and evasion techniques. Ukrainian drone manufacturers also participated, sharing operational insights from frontline experience.

“Modern technology enhances but doesn’t replace core warfare principles,” said Brigadier General Darius Meilūnas, commander of the Iron Wolf Brigade, in a statement. He emphasised that foundational tactics—such as firepower coordination, leadership, and field engineering—“remain critical, especially as drones dominate the battlefield.”

The exercises, held at the Gaižiūnų training ground and across Kaunas, Kaišiadorys, Elektrėnai, and Jonava districts, involved over 2,700 troops and 390 units of military hardware. Helicopters from the Lithuanian Air Force and rail transport provided by Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) supported logistics.

Key scenarios included civilian evacuations, prisoner-of-war management, strategic infrastructure defence, and medical triage. Civilian partners—such as border guards, police, hospitals, and public broadcasters—joined to test joint crisis-response protocols.

Alongside Lithuanian forces, the drills incorporated NATO’s forward-presence battlegroups and allied units from the United Kingdom and Poland. Volunteer troops from Lithuania’s National Defence Volunteer Forces also took part.