“Drone Warfare: A Modern Tool of War in Russia-Ukraine Conflict”
Drones, those tiny and affordable flying machines, can do some pretty impressive things on the battlefield. They can spot soldiers and ammo, drop bombs, and even give us a clearer view of what’s happening in the action.
Drones have been part of the military inventory for decades, but the war in Ukraine has seen a massive escalation in their exploitation. Does this herald the start of a new era in modern warfare, and will the rapid development of AI lead to the inevitable dawn of drone wars?
Unmanned flight predates manned, but the limits of technology have – to date – made unmanned air vehicles (UAV) vulnerable and thus unsuitable for widespread military use.
The Ukrainians have also exploited UAVs to target Russian logistics hubs to great effect, most recently targeting a fuel storage facility on Crimea and another just east of the Kerch Bridge linking Crimea to Russia.
Small drones are quiet, cheap, easily reconfigurable, and can provide live-streamed video of enemy positions directly to artillery – like playing a card game when you can see what card the other side has in their hand.
As Russia counters one capability, so the Ukrainians adapt and innovate.
Technology – and its rapid exploitation – has provided Ukraine with an asymmetric advantage in this conflict.
Although the United States has the lead in high-end UAVs, the global leader in the mass market is China, and when coupled with the rapid advances in AI capability, UAVs look set to become a mass-market, high volume, cost-effective military capability.
Conventional warfighting wisdom is that bigger is better – high-end tanks, aircraft and ships will prevail. However, the Ukraine conflict has demonstrated the huge warfighting potential of UAVs, where quantity has a quality all of its own.
A year ago, the UAV market was focused on domestic parcel deliveries, driverless cars and multi-UAV light shows.
However, the Ukraine conflict has showcased the dramatic potential of UAVs, which have yet to leverage rapid advances in AI.
The stage is set for a new generation of military capability – the drone wars – enabling low-budget decisive military effect, with profound implications for our international, and domestic, security.