Operation Winter Falcon is a bilateral U.S.–Poland training event (Winter Falcon 26) that focused on combined armored live‑fire and technology integration to improve interoperability and defensive readiness; its objectives included practicing coordinated tank live‑fire, integrating unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter‑UAS capabilities with armored forces, and strengthening U.S.–Polish (and NATO) collective defense in Poland’s eastern region.
The Drawsko Combat Training Center (DCTC), also called the Drawsko/Drawsko Training Ground, is Poland’s large multinational land‑training area headquartered in Oleszno (Drawsko Pomorskie area). It covers hundreds of square kilometers with ranges, airfields, drop zones and logistics support, and is used by Polish, U.S., and NATO forces for realistic, large‑scale and live‑fire training.
The 3rd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment (3‑66 AR) is an armored battalion assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division; its role is to provide tank/armored combat power (M1-series Abrams tanks and associated crews, maintenance, and support) as part of the ABCT’s mounted maneuver force.
An "armored live‑fire exercise" is a training event in which tanks and armored vehicles fire live munitions on designated ranges to practice gunnery, targeting, and maneuver under realistic conditions. Safety measures include firing‑range control procedures, established firing lines and impact areas, range officers and safety briefings, target and environmental risk assessments, communication/stop‑signals, restricted access to danger zones, and medical/cleanup support consistent with U.S. Army range safety policies.
The exercise’s technology demonstrations showcased unmanned aerial systems (first‑person‑view drones) for reconnaissance and engagement, and multiple counter‑UAS/countermeasure systems — examples displayed included the Modi electronic countermeasure, the Flex Force DroneBuster radio‑frequency defeat system, and the SMASH‑200L Smart Shooter optic mount — illustrating integration of UAS and C‑UAS with armored units.
Polish public reporting in the cited U.S. article did not list specific Polish units by name beyond "Polish Land Forces"; reporting identified U.S. participants (3‑66 AR, 1st ABCT) and did not indicate additional multinational partners beyond Poland and the U.S.
