Sunday Times: Killer drones are changing wars
The Ukrainian Operation Spider attack on Russian air bases has shocked military strategists and planners worldwide, and while this technology is changing faster than people imagine, it is rewriting the history of warfare.
Mark Urban, a Sunday Times columnist, summarized in part, describing what the media described as Russia’s Pearl Harbor as a bold strike—a surprise, unexpected attack that exposed deep vulnerabilities.
He explained that this new technology, employed in an innovative and bold manner, deprives Russia of its strategic advantages, from the country’s vast territory, where bases deep in Siberia were supposed to be secure, to its population, which is more than three times that of Ukraine.
He stated that this shift has prompted military planners globally, including in Beijing, Washington, and London, to reevaluate their strategic defenses, noting that the British Strategic Defense Review (SDR) acknowledged the profound impact of artificial intelligence and new sensors, mentioning drones 28 times, and asserting that technology is changing the way wars are fought.
However, the article also offers insightful perspectives, with experts such as General Sir Richard Barons cautioning against viewing drones as a magic bullet, arguing that military technology tends to reach a certain level in the context of war over time.
Despite this, Britain has provided significant support to unmanned weapons projects in Ukraine, learning valuable lessons from the development, effectiveness, and growing demand for these weapons.
The article explains that drones today include a wide range of weapons, from small, short-range battlefield bombs to long-range autonomous systems such as the Helsing HX-2, capable of striking targets over 1,400 kilometers away.
This war also featured Russian discoveries, reflected in Moscow’s deployment of Lancet loitering missiles and effective electronic warfare systems to jam Ukrainian drones.
This prompted Kyiv to prioritize autonomous aircraft that operate without operators, such as the Avengers system, which uses visual databases to search for targets autonomously.
This means that both Kyiv and Moscow are increasingly developing drone technologies.
While Ukraine has focused on autonomous drones that use artificial intelligence and visual databases to search for and strike targets without operator intervention, especially when signals are jammed, Russia has deployed fiber-optic guided drones to avoid jamming.
Older, expensive systems, such as the British Watchkeeper drone, which cost £1 billion, or the American Reaper drone, which costs $30 million each, are obsolete.
The article says this situation has led analysts to question Britain’s £14 billion Tempest fighter jet project, arguing that artificial intelligence and drone technology could outperform it before it enters service.
The ultimate transformation of this technology lies in the integration of artificial intelligence, autonomy, and sensors into combat, potentially removing humans from making quick decisions.
But while drones enhance the ability to bypass obstacles on the ground, they may also contribute to a stalemate in Ukraine, limiting the ability to move and achieve decisive victories.
In summary, drones represent a new, unfolding chapter in the world of warfare, profoundly impacting strategies, exposing adversaries’ vulnerabilities, and forcing military to reevaluate traditional defense spending and operational approaches.
