Drone warfare in Ukraine is prompting other armies to adapt to its use

The unprecedented role played by drones in Ukraine, where they have become one of the decisive elements in the war, according to experts, shows the need to adapt modern armies to them, whether in terms of their use or to protect themselves from them.

Samuel Bendett of the American "CNA" Center for Research told AFP that there are "other conflicts in which drones have been used extensively," as happened in Syria against the "ISIS" organization, or in Libya.

But "the number and scope of their use in Ukraine exceeds any other conflict."

This specialist in unmanned weapons referred to the "unprecedented use of commercial drones" for surveillance and reconnaissance operations as well as for combat operations in Ukraine.

And he considered that the war showed that small marches are “necessary for all units at all levels,” explaining, “Because they can be sacrificed and their life cycle is short, the forces must be equipped with very large quantities” of them.

Marches have played a major role in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Ukrainian forces hit Russian soldiers with Turkish Bayraktar drones when they tried to take control of Kyiv.

Both armies widely used small drones to mark and track each other's movements and also to direct artillery fire.

Likewise, both countries use "suicide" drones, that is, drones with explosives that explode on impact.

For Lauren Kahn of the US think tank Council on Foreign Relations, the war in Ukraine is taking place at a time when “a lot of these technologies are maturing” and becoming “available at good prices,” noting that this allows for more experimentation.

"They are so affordable that they are used as less valuable weapons," added Kahn, who specializes in the impact of emerging technologies on international security.

She pointed out that the problem for a country under attack is when it costs more to drop a drone than to use it, citing the example of Russian strikes on Ukrainian electricity infrastructure using Iranian-made drones.

"I believe that the best and most effective ways to counter the drones will be the next stage of development," she said, noting that it would be necessary to find a "cheaper" solution compatible with "the low price of offensive technology."

And the war in Ukraine allowed the testing of anti-drone technologies, especially for the United States, which provided Kyiv with a range of options, from machine guns to anti-aircraft guns.

Samuel Bendett explained that cyber defense also plays an important role for the two warring parties.

"The Russians and Ukrainians are now saying openly that there are areas on the front where their military drones cannot carry out operations and where their commercial drones can be jammed and neutralized," he added.

Although it was the bomb drones that aroused interest, these drones proved much greater surveillance capabilities, as it became difficult to hide the forces from the eyes of the enemies.

The conflict has shown that "it is absolutely essential to have systems, techniques and training" in defense against drones, according to Bennett.

He concluded that "the military must adapt," adding, "They must adapt to the fact that any fighting party at the present time and in future wars may be equipped with the types of drones that we see in Ukraine."

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news