Modern Trenches, Modern Threats: Combat Engineering in the Drone Age

SKRUNDA, Latvia – As part of exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2025, U.S. Navy Seabees, U.S. Marines from 8th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB), and Latvian Army engineers are constructing a fortified trench network designed for survivability in a drone-contested battlespace. The project serves both as a realistic rehearsal and a proof of concept for how modern combat engineers support maneuverability, concealment, and endurance in multi-domain operations.

U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Naval Construction Battalion 14 and Marines assigned to 8th Engineering Support Battalion conduct trench reinforcement training to increase combat engineering capabilities during exercise Baltic Operations 2025 (BALTOPS 25), June 6, 2025, in Skrunda, Latvia.

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