Ukraine lessons include technology arms race and mass production, says NATO official

Repair and solder works on first-person view unmanned aerial vehicles being conducted in a workshop in Ukraine's Donetsk oblast on 12 September 2025. (Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

NATO and its member states are continuing to learn defence capability and operational lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, including the need for faster production of weapons in significant mass amid a race to develop new technology through constant innovation, a senior NATO official said at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2025 exhibition held in London from 9 to 12 September.

Admiral Sir Keith Blount – a UK Royal Navy officer posted as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) – provided a high-level overview of findings, noting that NATO is alive to them. In the drive for mass and technological edge, Adm Blount highlighted in particular “the coming of age of drones and unmanned systems”.

“This war has seen remote and autonomous systems of various types operated at a scale not seen before,” he said. “Mass is the watchword. In 2023 Ukraine was making around 800,000 drones a year. … This year, we think it's on track to make around five million.”

This accelerating use of unmanned systems is also shaping a range of tasks – from resupply and medical support including casualty evacuation, to surveillance and reconnaissance. Offensive action has been evolving from the realms of direct attack and precision targeting to the challenge of co-ordinating loitering or swarming attacks. Such tactical use is also proving to be operationally significant, Adm Blount said. “In December 2024, Ukraine actually demonstrated the ability to launch an unmanned ground assault that captured and then held ground with no casualties.”