The Russo-Ukrainian war became a testing ground for the latest innovations in military technology. This is most immediately evident in the rapid evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones. These range from reconnaissance and surveillance drones that maintain “eyes in the sky” over the battlespace, to combat drones that drop ammunition and suicide attack drones that are used to attack enemy targets.
At sea, Ukrainian maritime drones swarm enemy warships, sinking or severely damaging large parts of Russia’s Black Sea fleet and forcing them out of the port of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. Ukraine has also begun deploying unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in logistics, replenishment, evacuation, and combat roles.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainians have often had the upper hand in developing and deploying unmanned aerial vehicles. However, as with any new weapon, the enemy side usually moves quickly to devise effective countermeasures to the opponent’s advantage and develop similar weapons of their own. This relentless arms race has been a key feature of the war in Ukraine over the past two and a half years.
U.S. military experts say the period between when an improved drone design is first deployed and when a countermeasure emerges is typically just over a month. Responses range from electronic interference to copying drone designs and combat tactics. It was a deadly game of whacking drones and led to the testing of technologies such as autonomous target acquisition and increasingly autonomous drone operations.
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International observers, including Western adversaries, are closely studying how Ukraine’s emerging defense innovations will shape the future of war. Unsurprisingly, military cooperation between authoritarian states is already growing as the Kremlin and its allies seek to share knowledge and experience. For example, Iran is reportedly providing training to Russian drone operators.
Western military planners are learning from their Ukrainian partners about how to adapt commercially available platforms for military applications in extremely difficult environments. Ukraine’s ingenuity and ability to establish mutually beneficial cooperation between high-tech startups and the state amazes Western military experts accustomed to slow and highly bureaucratic processes.
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To learn the defense techniques lessons of the Russian-Ukrainian war, there is no substitute for being close to the battlefield. Observing the work of Ukrainian drone operators, interacting closely with electronic warfare experts, and participating in the disassembly and analysis of recovered Russian drones will give you insight into how these technologies are evolving. This is extremely important for understanding what is happening.
Many Western journalists and volunteers are already serving in Ukrainian units and are trying to learn more about the realities of modern warfare and the increasingly central role of defense innovation. This proximity could be of great benefit to military commanders and defense industry developers. However, it requires a much more comprehensive approach.
Currently, Western efforts to learn from the Ukraine war are hampered by an extreme reluctance to put personnel at risk. Concerns about the possibility of non-Ukrainian soldiers being injured or killed in a war with Russia appear to be holding back Western governments and weapons manufacturers from taking action. These concerns limit our ability to study the remarkable developments currently occurring in Ukraine.
This doesn’t necessarily apply elsewhere. For example, U.S. military personnel are currently deployed to many conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa. In contrast, the movement of Western military personnel in Ukraine remains severely restricted, even in a purely surveillance role.
While there are strong arguments for allowing military personnel closer to the front lines in Ukraine, giving them direct access to weapons developers is arguably even more important. In fact, several small and medium-sized Western military equipment manufacturers have already sent experts to Ukraine. Mainstream manufacturers now need to overcome their reluctance and give key staff more access to the Ukrainian front lines.
Today’s self-imposed restrictions limit Western countries’ ability to take a closer look at what the battlefields of the not-too-distant future will look like. This makes it difficult for Ukraine to provide the support it needs to win the current war, while also developing new defense technological capabilities that will help keep Western societies safe for decades to come. hindered.
Edward Verona is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center for Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
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The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.
The Eurasia Center’s mission is to strengthen transatlantic cooperation that promotes stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the west to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the east.
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Image: Ukrainian reconnaissance drone unit of the 80th Air Assault Brigade operates from a base in Donbas. Drones have become an integral part of the war since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. (Laurel Chor / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect)
