the-ramifications-of-ukraine’s-drone-attack

You can explore the information regarding Operation Spiderweb elsewhere. What captivates my attention are the ramifications for future combat:

If Ukrainians could maneuver drones so near to significant air bases in an authoritarian state like Russia, what stops the Chinese from executing a similar strategy against U.S. air bases? Or the Pakistanis towards Indian air bases? Or the North Koreans aimed at South Korean air bases? Armed forces that believed their air bases were secure behind electrified barriers and sentry posts will now need to confront the aerial threat posed by inexpensive, widely available drones that can be easily adapted for military applications. This will necessitate a substantial investment in counter-drone technologies. Funds allocated to conventional manned weapon systems increasingly appear to be as futile as expenditures on cavalry in the 1930s.

There exists a relationship between the expense of the item and the expense to eliminate the item, and that relationship is shifting significantly. This isn’t a recent phenomenon, of course. Here’s an article from the previous year discussing the expenses associated with drones compared to those of high-end fighter jets. If $35K in drones (117 drones estimated at $300 each) can dismantle $7B worth of Russian bombers and other long-range aircraft, why would anyone continue to manufacture those planes? We can extend this debate to ships, tanks, or nearly every other military vehicle. Moreover, we should consider incorporating drone-coordinating technologies such as swarming.

It is evident that further exploration into remotely and automatically disabling drones is essential.


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