Green Berets Complete 90-Mile Stealth Infiltration Exercise to Combat Modern Drone Surveillance

U.S. Green Berets test heat-masking and stealth tactics during a 90-mile exercise in Germany to combat modern drone surveillance. Read about Exercise Deep Strike.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 8:19 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Army Times

Testing the Limits of Stealth in the Drone Era

Special operations teams from the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) recently executed a rigorous stealth exercise designed to counter the proliferation of battlefield surveillance technology. Known as Exercise Deep Strike, the drill took place over a week in the winter landscape of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The primary objective was to test the ability of eight-man teams to remain invisible to enemy drones, radar, and ground personnel while operating in a high-threat environment. This training underscores a strategic shift within U.S. Special Operations Command Europe to prepare for peer-level adversaries equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities.

Navigating 90 Miles of Hostile Territory

The mission required teams to traverse more than 90 miles of simulated enemy terrain under grueling winter conditions. To maximize their chances of remaining undetected, the Green Berets restricted all movements to nighttime hours and refrained from carrying conventional weapons, relying instead on mission-specific gear and survival equipment. The exercise culminated in a successful deep-territory infiltration where teams launched a strike drone at a mock high-value target before being extracted by helicopters. According to a team sergeant involved in the drill, the operation was "no simple walk in the woods," requiring constant adaptation to avoid detection by both technical sensors and local civilian populations.

Combating Thermal and Electronic Detection

One of the most critical components of the exercise was the challenge posed by thermal-equipped drones. Modern battlefield conditions, particularly those observed in recent Eastern European conflicts, have made traditional camouflage nearly obsolete against sensors that detect heat signatures. To address this, the 10th SFG (A) focused on tactical movement and environmental masking to reduce their electronic and thermal footprints. This training coincides with broader efforts across the U.S. military, including the Marine Corps’ recent testing of full-body overgarments specifically designed to hide a soldier's heat signature from ground and aerial sensors.