The Ukrainian War saw drones move from the next frontier of parcel delivery to cutting-edge warfare technology, and the rapid development of AI only accelerated things further.
To Sean Bell, military analyst
Sunday 07 May 2023 09:53, UK
Drones have been part of the military’s inventory for decades, but the war in Ukraine has greatly escalated their use. Will this usher in a new era of modern warfare? Will the rapid development of AI lead to the inevitable dawn of drone warfare?
Unmanned aerial vehicles pre-dated humans, but technological limitations have so far made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fragile and unsuitable for widespread military use.
But the relatively calm atmospheric conditions over Afghanistan have led to the development of a new generation of loitering platforms, such as the US Reaper, which can fly for more than 20 hours and provide live streaming video to headquarters on the other side of the world.
Russia Targeted with hundreds of drones Ukrainian Cities and critical national infrastructure.
Missiles can cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars each, fly fast, are difficult to shoot down, and carry huge explosive charges.
However, when supplies ran low, Russia imported Shahid 136 UAVs from Iran. These UAVs are slow and vulnerable to small arms fire, but can be used as swarms to overwhelm defenses.
Ukrainians have also used UAVs to target Russian logistics hubs to great effect. Most recently, it has targeted a fuel storage facility in Crimea and another facility just east of the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea to Russia.
but Suspected drone attack on Kremlin The Kremlin was a fortress, with many layers of air and land defenses, and could never have been passed by slow UAVs.
In any case, this incident demonstrated the wide utility of drones as both weapons of destruction and deception.
Why would Russia attack the Kremlin?
Small tactical drones have also proven invaluable in this conflict, especially on the front lines.
As early as 1794, observation balloons were used as aerial platforms for gathering information and spotting artillery, and in World War I, Royal Air Force aircraft took the opportunity to drop grenades on enemy trench positions. rice field.
Now, more than a century later, smaller UAVs are playing the same role.
Surveillance technology is advancing rapidly, taking advantage of advances in the space and satellite markets, making sensors lighter, more powerful and requiring less power.
Small drones are quiet, inexpensive, easily reconfigurable, and can provide live-streaming video of enemy positions directly to artillery. For example, it’s like playing a card his game when the other side can see what cards they have in their hand.
Ukrainians adapt and innovate just as Russia counters one capability.
Technology and its rapid use have given Ukraine an asymmetric advantage in this conflict.
The United States leads the way in high-end UAVs, but the mass-market world leader is China, and coupled with rapid advances in AI capabilities, UAVs look set to become mass-market, high-volume, and cost-effective. increase. military capability.
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Conventional wisdom in combat is that bigger is better, and high-end tanks, aircraft and ships will win. However, the Ukraine conflict has demonstrated the enormous combat potential of UAVs, and quantity has its own qualities.
A year ago, the UAV market was focused on domestic parcel delivery, self-driving vehicles and multi-UAV light shows.
But the Ukraine conflict shows the dramatic potential of UAVs that have yet to capitalize on rapid advances in AI.
The stage is set for a new generation of military capabilities, drone warfare, capable of decisive military effectiveness on a low budget, with significant international and domestic security implications.
