Drone warfare has rapidly emerged as a defining feature of the modern battlefield, dramatically reshaping the landscape of conflict in the 21st century. Significant technological advancements have driven this evolution, including the miniaturization of sophisticated sensors, increased battery capacities, artificial intelligence in autonomous systems, and the development of smaller and more powerful computing devices. The current War in Ukraine, in particular, has seen extensive employment of drone systems, commonly referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This war has been the only recent peer conflict and gives an accurate picture of the potential uses of drones in a military context.
It is first essential to understand the different types of UAVs present on the battlefield. The first major distinction comes in size and cost. On one side are large, high-cost platforms like the Predator and Bayraktar TB2, equipped with sophisticated technology for precision strikes and surveillance. These drones are comparable to aircraft in the sense that they are high-value assets controlled at a higher operational level. On the other side are smaller, cheaper, and more expendable UAVs, which are lightweight and often portable. These drones are often designed for commercial use and later repurposed for combat. A notable example is the DJI Mavic series of quadcopters, which cost only a few thousand dollars and weigh under a kilogram. Despite their relative simplicity, these systems are hard to detect on radar and can be easily mass-produced using readily available commercial components. This allows such UAVs to be operated by individual squads and teams, making them virtually ubiquitous on the modern battlefield.
It is these smaller drones that are responsible for disrupting military doctrines. Extremely light and agile UAVs, known as first-person view (FPV) drones, have seen extensive employment as kamikaze devices. An operator can pilot these drones using VR headsets to get a live feed from a small camera on the drone. Once a target is identified, the operator flies the FPV drone into the target and remotely detonates a payload. Despite being small, these systems can easily disable or destroy tanks and other heavily armored vehicles if weak points are targeted correctly.
FPV drones are frequently used in conjunction with slightly larger and more stable recon UAVs that fly over enemy lines to locate high-value targets, enemy weak points, and incoming attacks. Recon UAVs can easily operate miles behind enemy frontlines, making them much more versatile and effective than traditional human spotters. Such systems have dramatically amplified the potency of artillery, as spotter UAVs can provide instant targeting correction that makes long-range shelling extremely precise. While in their most basic forms, recon drones consist of a quadcopter with a camera, more sophisticated platforms and upgrades exist. Small fixed-wing craft like Russia's Orlan 10 and large multi-copters can be used for extended ranges and greater altitudes. Moreover, more sophisticated targeting and detection equipment, such as night vision cameras and laser target designators, can be mounted. It is also not uncommon to see recon platforms repurposed with munitions. In the war in Ukraine, small mortar shells and grenades are often strapped to the bottom of the drone and are released by the operator over a target.
Countering small UAVs on the modern battlefield presents a significant challenge due to their low cost, ease of deployment, and difficulty in detection. A common issue with defending against cheap drones is that the munitions required to take them down often cost more than the drone itself. Shooting down a ten-thousand-dollar drone with a million-dollar surface-to-air missile is certainly not an effective strategy. Various methods are in development to address this threat, including electronic warfare techniques that jam or disrupt the communication links between drones and their operators. The downside of this strategy is that in the future, advancements in artificial intelligence will likely allow these systems to become fully independent. Advanced radar and sensor systems are also being adapted to better detect and track smaller UAVs. If such technology were to be integrated with a traditional anti-aircraft cannon, drones could be eliminated at a relatively low cost.
It is still unclear what effect UAVs will have across the diverse array of modern battlefields. In the current War in Ukraine, they have primarily had the effect of keeping frontlines rigid. The improved reconnaissance has allowed defenders to coordinate fire support and take out enemies before their attack can properly materialize. Exposed units are highly vulnerable to being spotted and attacked by cheap FPV drones or other available assets, making any activity on the battlefield extremely challenging. As drone warfare continues, we may be moving toward a future where human presence on the battlefield is minimized. As we develop fully autonomous systems, war might eventually evolve into machines fighting machines, leading to a reality where human lives are no longer at risk in conflict. This potential shift raises questions about the nature of war and definitively establishes the development of autonomous systems as the most promising military technology.
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