Western armies are learning a lot from the war in Ukraine

SALISBURY PLAIN in England is a far cry from Zaporizhia. But—briefly—Russians are here. A battalion from the British Army’s parachute regiment plays Task Force Hannibal, a unit that mimics Russian doctrine. They face battalions from the Royal Irish and Gurkha regiments. The “Storm Wessex” exercise imitates conditions in Ukraine: precise firepower, the “pervasive stare” of sensors and jamming galore. The visual and electronic signatures of each unit are shown to commanders. In the control centre, a satellite image shows the radar-reflecting corrugated-iron roof of a defensive position: the lesson, it is better to use wood. Engine exhausts are covered to hide from infrared cameras. Voices are hushed to evade acoustic sensors.