The practice of working with intelligence data in Ukraine has evolved from fragmented communication channels into a unified situational awareness system that is now being studied in the United States. DefPulse takes a closer look.
From Fragmented Channels to a Unified Ecosystem
Just a few years ago, the typical chain was straightforward: a drone spots a target, the operator transmits coordinates, and the information reaches the commander — sometimes with delays and losses.
That process is now largely automated thanks to the national situational awareness system DELTA — a military software product. It integrates drone reconnaissance, satellite imagery, and radio intercepts into a single battlefield picture.
The system is built to NATO standards and is compatible with similar Alliance tools. This enables network-centric warfare — meaning intelligence data can be shared in a format understood by allies, and vice versa. By design, DELTA fulfills the function that NATO assigns to the ISTAR concept (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, Reconnaissance).
The system’s usage statistics for 2026 are impressive: more than 75,000 video streams pass through DELTA daily, and the Mission Control drone operations management module has already generated over 150,000 digital mission reports. According to some data, approximately 6,600 struck targets are recorded each day, with data flowing through the ecosystem.
Artificial Intelligence Takes Over Recognition
The key change is the automation of the most routine part of an intelligence analyst’s work: identifying equipment in video footage. The Avengers AI platform, operating within the DELTA ecosystem alongside the Vezha module, automatically detects and classifies objects in drone footage. It reduces the workload on analysts and speeds up the transfer of confirmed information to command. These tools recently underwent an independent cybersecurity assessment.
Yaroslav Honchar, co-founder of the NGO Aerorozvidka, explains the logic behind this approach: when initial data processing is automated, analysts and intelligence officers gain time not for collecting information, but for analysis — uncovering the enemy’s intentions and battle formations, which is exactly what intelligence is expected to deliver.
Why American Analysts Have Taken an Interest in the Ukrainian System
Military analysts in the United States are discussing a potential switch to DELTA over their own homegrown solutions. The US Army’s problem lies in fragmentation: tactical information sharing relies on ATAK, the overall operational picture is built by CPCE, fire control is handled by AFATDS, and AI-driven big data analysis and target acquisition falls to Palantir’s Maven. These tools interact poorly with one another, while DELTA has been battle-tested through nearly four years of full-scale war — including operations under constant electronic warfare, cyberattacks, and personnel exhaustion.
DELTA was also officially used as the primary command system during NATO’s REPMUS 2025 exercises, and in 2026 the Ministries of Defense of Ukraine and Germany signed a cooperation agreement on defense sector digitalization covering 2026–2028.
The Main Vulnerability — the Airwaves
Despite the digitalization of upper command levels, the weakest link remains physical — namely, the communication channel between the drone and its operator. According to military analysts, drones today account for up to 80–85% of equipment and personnel strikes on the front, which means the battle for the radio spectrum is effectively a battle for the effectiveness of the entire intelligence ecosystem.
Electronic warfare (EW) jams GPS navigation, severs the link between the controller and the drone, and creates dead zones where the UAV loses control. In response, manufacturers are switching to non-standard frequencies — 433, 750, or 915 MHz — that are not covered by typical vehicle-mounted EW systems, as well as to frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) protocols.
Another issue flagged by specialists is the conflict between a unit’s own electronic intelligence and EW systems, where allied unit equipment jams each other’s signals. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly integrating EW, electronic intelligence, and kinetic strike capabilities into a single ecosystem with a centralized situational awareness server that independently distinguishes between friendly and enemy drone signals. In July 2026, Ukrainian specialists from the Joint Anti-UAV Training and Education Centre (JATEC) practiced precisely this kind of integrated sensor and command system interaction during exercises in Finland.
The Last-Mile Link: Ground Control Stations
At the level of an individual crew or team, a critical role is played by equipment that allows the operator to work from a relatively safe location — a dugout, building, or vehicle — while maintaining a stable video and telemetry feed.
The market offers several classes of such equipment, including ground control stations from various Ukrainian manufacturers, as well as repeaters capable of extending the communication range with a drone to 25 km. They serve as an intermediate node between the operator and the aircraft, ensuring the physical stability of the channel at the last mile.
Intelligence advantage in wartime is defined by the speed and reliability of the entire information acquisition and processing chain. Automated target recognition cuts processing time, a unified data-sharing system eliminates gaps between branches of the military, and EW resilience determines whether the data reaches its recipient at all. This is precisely why allies, including the United States, are now studying Ukraine’s combat experience as a ready-made solution and source of inspiration for their own developments.
The following sources were used in preparing this article:
- Forbes.ua — “Delta: How the Military Front Management Software Works”
- Texty.org.ua — “From Reconnaissance to Strike — Without Unnecessary Headquarters: Why the US Has Taken an Interest in Ukraine’s DELTA”
- ArmiyaInform — “Over 6,600 Targets Struck Daily: DELTA Reveals the Scale of Ukrainian Drone Operations”
- ArmiyaInform — “EW Without Detection Is Only Half a Solution: How Electronic Warfare Has Changed Over the Past Year”
- Zelen Store Blog — “How EW Works Against Drones: UAV Protection in Field Conditions”
- Wikipedia — article “Delta (Situational Awareness System)”
