Yurii PoitaHead of the Asian section of the NGRN Yurii Poita participated in the DSET Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology conference on supply chain resilience in Taiwan.
During the panel on drones, he shared the latest lessons learned from the development, production, and warfare of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Below are brief summaries of his speech.
The use of drones is a real game changer, not just tactical or operational, but also strategic. Currently, in the Russian-Ukrainian war, drones account for 70-80% of all hits, from a tactical point of view, they are integrated into ISR systems, artillery and precision weapons, C2, perform the role of artillery, etc.
From a strategic point of view, they change the dynamics and philosophy of war and lead to fundamental changes. First, their effectiveness and quantity are so high that a 15-20 kilometer transparent “dead zone” has been created on the battlefield, the appearance of which weapons is quickly detected and leads to its destruction. This leads to the need to change the logistics system, provide ammunition, fuel and food to the front line, evacuate the wounded, change fortification, combat manuals etc.
Secondly, for the effective use of drones, it is necessary to change the structure of the armed forces, which Ukraine has already done and Russia is doing. This applies to the creation of drone units both as part of infantry regiments and brigades, and the creation of UAV units – battalions, regiments, brigades, a separate branch of the armed forces – Unmanned Systems Forces, a network of training centers, etc.
Thirdly, the development of technologies has led to the fact that drones are used in complex systems in interaction with other drones (as their carriers, communication elements, etc.), in coordination with electronic intelligence and EW, and in sophisticated operations deep inside enemy territory (Example – Spider’s Web of the SBU). In addition, technologies require drones to be as simple as possible, with easy-to-change configurations and communication systems that allow for rapid response to dynamically changing battlefield conditions. This creates a new challenge for the R&D system, the procurement of drones, which must be flexible, fast, minimally bureaucratic, and in constant contact with the military using them.
In the maritime domain, Ukraine’s efforts are aimed at increasing the functionality of the already existing USVs – equipping them with sea-to-surface missiles, air defense, and UAVs for delivering strikes deep into the enemy’s coast, and organizing combat support for naval drone systems – when a group of USVs performs one task, and USVs with air defense – provide them with cover from enemy aircraft.
China is very successful in these matters, and is quickly integrating the lessons learned on the Ukrainian battlefield into its defense system, technology, and defense industry.
