ROME — The Italian Army held its second Operational Drone Workshop at the Monte Romano training range, using a realistic battlefield scenario to test the employment of drones and counter-drone capabilities across multiple operational units.
The exercise, organized by the 41st IMINT Regiment “Cordenons” under the Combat Support Forces Command’s training program, brought together several units from the Army’s operational area. The aim was to consolidate capabilities developed during the first edition of the workshop while exposing participating units to a dynamic and non-permissive operational environment.
Why it matters: The exercise focused on integrating drones into battlefield operations while testing responses to hostile unmanned systems.
- It combined intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions with offensive drone employment.
- The scenario also assessed the Army’s ability to detect, track and counter enemy drone threats using electronic warfare systems.
Zoom in: The training. The drills replicated the complexity of a modern battlefield, with opposing forces operating drones with full tactical freedom to increase the realism of the exercise.
- All categories of unmanned aerial systems currently fielded by the Italian Army were employed, including First Person View (FPV) drones. Training objectives were supported by the use of electronic warfare capabilities alongside systems designed to detect and track aerial threats.
Between the lines: The exercise placed equal emphasis on the operational use of drones and on protection against hostile unmanned systems, reflecting the need to prepare forces for increasingly contested operating environments.
What they are saying: Combat Support Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Giovanni Gagliano, who visited the units participating in the exercise, said the planned objectives had been achieved and stressed that training remains essential to ensuring the readiness and effectiveness of the military under all operating conditions.
The bottom line: The workshop highlighted the Italian Army’s continued effort to train with both drone and counter-drone capabilities in realistic operational scenarios, while refining procedures across multiple units.
(Photo: X, @esercito)
