German Leopard 2 tank units are already applying the lessons learned from Ukraine

The fighting in the Russian invasion of Ukraine is revolutionizing the way war is waged in various areas, including on land.

Leopard 2PL tanks defeat M1 Abrams and K2 in a tank competition in Poland
A historic German Army parade in the Lithuanian capital, the first since WWII

Unmanned aerial vehicles are turning many of the existing military doctrines on their head, including those relating to armored units. Very expensive tanks are now becoming vulnerable to drone attacks.

This Friday, the Bundeswehr published a series of photos from Exercise Freedom Shield 2026, conducted by the 45th Armored Brigade "Lithuania" (PzBrig 45), a German Army unit based in that Baltic state. The images were taken at the Pabrade training ground between June 6 and 19.

These photos reveal that some things are starting to change. We can see above a detail that indicates this on the turret of this Leopard 2A7 tank.

In this photo of tanks from Panzer Battalion 203, we can see that detail a little better. These are nets located on the tanks' turrets. This isn't a camouflage solution, but rather a German version of the well-known anti-drone grids seen on tanks of both sides in Ukraine, with relative effectiveness. Unlike the nets we've seen in Ukraine, those on these German tanks also cover the front of the turret.

The purpose of these nets is to prevent drones from coming into contact with the tank's armor, which is typically thinner on top of the turret than at the front, in order to reduce the effects of an attack drone explosion. This is a lesson from the war in Ukraine that is now beginning to be applied in the West, and it certainly won't be the last.

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Photos: Bundeswehr.