The Evolution of Warfare: Drones Redefine the Dynamics
The emergence of high-precision weapons in modern theaters of conflict dates back over half a century, with their debut in Vietnam. Since then, the pursuit of greater accuracy and destructive potential has led to astronomical costs for these tools of war.
GPS-guided artillery projectiles in the USA can reach prices of up to $100,000 per unit, resulting in limited availability of smart weaponry. This situation left European nations at a disadvantage during the conflict in Libya in 2011.
Israel has prioritized the preservation of its arsenal over the minimization of collateral damage, choosing to use conventional bombs in Gaza. This raises the question of whether it is possible to combine precision with massiveness.
On the Ukrainian fronts, a new turn in military history is being outlined with the emergence of first-person view drones (FPV) that have been modified from commercial models and equipped with explosive charges, redefining combat dynamics.
These devices, known for their economic accessibility and infiltration capacity, present a growing threat to both infantry and armored units. The prevalence of FPV drones is on the rise, with more than 3,000 attacks recorded in January.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has established the Unmanned Systems Force, focused exclusively on unmanned aerial warfare, projecting to assemble between one and two million drones by 2024.
He drone, once seen as a prodigious artifact, is now at the heart of significant trends in modern warfare, signaling a shift towards smaller size, reduced cost, and autonomy in conflict scenarios. The adoption of drone technology is expected to quickly transcend military ranks and permeate insurgent groups, terrorist networks, and criminal factions.
The prevalence of drones, particularly in the context of Ukrainian and Russian conflict, illustrates the democratization of military technology, presenting a paradigm shift in contemporary warfare. Revolutionary simplicity of FPV drones arising from consumer technology introduces ethical dilemmas and challenges related to technological obsolescence.
The move towards autonomy marks the final frontier in this evolution, with drones on the Ukrainian battlefield demonstrating the potential for a new era in conventional and asymmetric warfare.
Western nations, including the United States and European countries, are in a process of late adjustment to the lessons emerging from modern battlefields. The possibility of a new major European conflict before the end of the decade necessitates urgent investment in low-cost drones and defense systems.
The massification of unmanned combat aircraft is reshaping the dynamics between humans and technology in the context of war, marking the beginning of an era where technological superiority could dictate the terms of war. The sky above Ukraine is now saturated with disposable weapons that combine precision and destructive power, serving as a premonition of the future of warfare.