In the quiet woods of Skrunda, Latvia, the battlefield of the future is taking shape.

American sailors and Marines, working alongside Latvian Army troops, are not just digging trenches — they are redesigning the very concept of battlefield fortification to meet the challenges of the drone age.

This month, Naval Combat Engineers (Seabees) from Naval Construction Battalion 14 joined forces with Marines from the 8th Engineer Support Battalion for a high-stakes training mission.

The objective: rapidly construct a fortified trench network capable of withstanding the persistent threat posed by unmanned aerial systems (UASs), also known as drones.

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“These field fortifications are built to reduce detection, limit exposure to unmanned systems, and enhance force protection across the battlespace,” said Lt. j.g. Wiatt Lewis, of Naval Construction Battalion 14, in a Navy release.

The effort was part of BALTOPS, the annual Baltic Operations exercise that typically emphasizes sea and air combat.

But this year’s drills made a critical shift to address a growing reality: drone warfare is reshaping the front lines.

No longer are attacks solely launched from distant artillery or aircraft — today, small and inexpensive drones can deliver deadly payloads directly overhead.

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The troops in Skrunda envisioned exactly that kind of threat: a sky filled with hostile drones.

In response, they turned a clearing in the woods into a complex, multidimensional system of trenches. Based on photos released by the Navy, the design evokes images of World War I-era fortifications, with wooden support beams bracing muddy earthworks and planks placed for traction.

But a closer look reveals adaptations for 21st-century warfare — including thick overhead coverings and camouflaged nets intended to evade visual and thermal detection.

Image Credit: DoW

“We are always thinking about our visibility from above, the effects of thermal detection, and how to keep the position secure from multiple angles,” explained Staff Sgt. Austin Leigh, a combat engineer with the 8th Engineer Support Battalion.

The use of drones in combat is no longer theoretical. In Ukraine, the ongoing war with Russia has transformed trenches into laboratories of innovation.

Forces have experimented with both rudimentary and advanced countermeasures, from netting designed to entangle incoming quadcopters to constructing trenches in non-linear patterns that reduce vulnerability from above.

Some dugouts are now equipped with wireless internet, charging stations, and even elements of cyber and electromagnetic warfare — a marriage of dirt and digital technology.

Such real-world experience was undoubtedly top of mind during the Skrunda exercise.

The collaboration wasn’t just between U.S. branches but included Latvian engineers, who brought with them a mobile sawmill that accelerated on-site construction.

The result was not only a fortified position but a real-time lesson in allied innovation.

The rapid evolution of drone tactics was highlighted once again this month, when Ukraine launched drone strikes on Russian airfields.

The attacks, carried out with small and relatively low-cost drones, inflicted serious damage and drew attention to how vulnerable even well-defended positions can be.

These incidents have spurred concern within the U.S. defense community about how prepared American forces are to defend their own installations against similar threats.

Historically, trenches have served as protection from artillery and direct fire. In World War I, they were dug to shield soldiers from horizontal blasts, with little concern for threats from above.

But modern warfare has rendered those assumptions obsolete. The sky is no longer a passive backdrop — it’s an active battleground.

That paradigm shift is driving the U.S. military to rethink even its most basic field tactics.

The construction project in Latvia reflects a growing recognition that in future conflicts, the key to survival may lie in the ability to adapt — quickly, collaboratively, and creatively.

As drones become faster, smarter, and more numerous, the need for forward-thinking combat engineering has never been more critical.

By transforming a patch of forest into a drone-resistant stronghold, the Seabees and Marines are doing more than just digging trenches. They are laying the groundwork for the next era of battlefield defense.

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