NATO trainers say outdated manuals can’t keep up with Ukraine’s fast-moving war

At Camp Jomsborg, a Norway-led multinational training hub in eastern Poland, Brigadier Atle Molde heads Task Force Legio, which prepares Ukrainian troops for combat against Russia. Molde argues that the traditional yearly revision of training manuals cannot match the swift shifts in tactics and weaponry observed on the front lines. Trainers therefore rely heavily on real-time input from Ukrainian soldiers and adjust curricula within hours.

Ukrainian instructors, including a veteran known as “Ruda” who leads drone-school R&D, stress that battlefield technology can become obsolete in weeks, prompting frequent updates. Companies such as Frontline Robotics and Ark Robotics are also revising their products dozens of times each month to meet soldiers’ needs. NATO officials, including Admiral Pierre Vandier, cite the conflict as a catalyst for compressing innovation cycles from years to months, highlighting the broader challenge for Western forces to stay relevant.