US soldiers in Germany test Apaches for use in fight against drones

During Operation Skyfall II, pilots shot down several Griffon Aerospace Outlaw drones after receiving the targeting data from soldiers in an artillery regiment.

During Operation Skyfall II, pilots shot down several drones after receiving the targeting data from soldiers in an artillery regiment. An Apache helicopter with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade hovers after engaging several drones during Operation Skyfall II at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Oct. 6, 2026. Army air defense soldiers in Germany used ground radar to cue Apache helicopters that shot down drones during the exercise. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Army experimentation to counter enemy drones went for a new spin this week as Germany-based units used ground radar to coordinate attacks with Apache helicopters. Pilots shot down several Griffon Aerospace Outlaw drones in the Grafenwoehr Training Area on Tuesday after receiving the targeting data from soldiers in an artillery regiment during Operation Skyfall II.

Integration of ground and air units is part of a layered defense, said Lt. Col. John Verwiel, commander of the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. The Skyfall exercises grew out of the Army’s modernization initiative known as Project Flytrap. Skyfall I, held in the spring, tested whether the drones could be shot down by an Apache. Skyfall II tested whether targeting data could be sent from the ground. The exercises highlight the fast-paced development and testing in drone and anti-drone warfare taking place at bases and training ranges worldwide.