Ukrainian soldiers of the 45th Brigade Air Reconnaissance Squadron inspecting a Leleka aircraft. … [+]
Drones will play an important role in the Russia-Ukraine war, and the side with better drone technology will win. As the war moves to the next stage, the Russian military launches new offensive operations and the Ukrainian military is on the defensive. At the moment, Ukraine appears to have the upper hand in drone warfare, which allowed it to effectively thwart this new Russian attack.
This attack followed a counterattack by Ukrainian forces, which gained little. Meanwhile, the Russian military was entrenched behind thick defenses and used this time to strengthen its forces with personnel and equipment in preparation for this new offensive, which is currently in its early stages.In recent weeks, the Russian military strengthen their efforts They are attacking areas around the towns of Kupyansk and Klovmarne in the Lunhansk region, as well as the area around Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.
KHARKIV, UKRAINE – NOVEMBER 27: Ukrainian soldiers of the 57th brigade in a combat position … [+]
However, these initial operations yielded minimal results, mainly because the Russian army was unable to concentrate its forces. Offensive operations depend on concentrating forces against weak points in the defensive line.Russian military is unable to concentrate its forces Due to Ukrainian drone attack. Ukrainian drones have successfully targeted Russian forces of battalion size or larger, including those in the rear. Closer to the front lines, the drones attack company-sized units, forcing Russian troops to attack with dismounted platoon-sized units supported by tanks and artillery far to the rear. For the Russian military, inadequate command and control systems further limit simultaneous attacks by these platoon-sized units, further limiting their effectiveness.
Ukraine is able to carry out these attacks because its current drones can precisely target Russian forces while evading Russia’s counter-drone systems. To achieve this, Ukraine has rapidly evolved its drone fleet by rapidly integrating new technologies. Two years ago, the Ukrainian military relied heavily on the TB-2 Bayraktar. Currently, the Ukrainian military has a very diverse portfolio of drones.
Donetsk Region, Ukraine – 2023/05/31: Members of the Ukrainian Army are in charge of aviation systems … [+]
Although many of these systems were purchased from abroad or included in foreign aid packages, many of Ukraine’s drones are manufactured domestically. Since the beginning of the war, the number of Ukrainian drone companies has continued to grow. From 7:00 to 80:00. These companies mass-produce numerous drones for the Ukrainian military. The more common Ukrainian systems are the A1-CM Fury, ASU-1 Valkyrja, and Leleka-100. These also include a number of less common domestically produced drones from various companies such as Saker, Spaitech and Ukrspecsystems.
Ukraine’s drone production stands in stark contrast to Russia, which has focused on mass production of unmanned aircraft, especially loitering weapons. Mass production requirements inherently make drones less flexible in design, emphasizing drone volume over adaptability. In a war of attrition, quantity matters, but counter-drone technology is evolving so rapidly that drones need to be able to adapt to system changes.
Kiev, Ukraine – August 30: A man works at a Ukrainian military drone manufacturing facility. … [+]
Throughout the war, Russia has maintained an advantage in counter-drone warfare. However, counter-drone systems, especially the electronic warfare systems favored by Russia, often target vulnerabilities unique to specific drone models. Russia therefore faces challenges in this area, as it has to adapt its equipment to Ukraine’s various drones. In any case, Russia is likely to soon deploy the latest electronic warfare technology to be effective against most of Ukraine’s unmanned vehicles. The Russian military will be free to pilot and carry out attacks while Ukrainian drone companies adapt the drones to Russian systems. To prevent this from happening, Ukrainian drone companies will need to stay one step ahead of Russia’s counter-drone technology, which is a difficult requirement. Ukraine will probably get some cooperation in this matter. US-led coalition announced this week an initiative to help Ukraine strengthen its drone development capabilities.
Given the nature of the war, both sides have attempted to establish an advantage in drone technology. At times, the Russian military had the upper hand in this area, but now the Ukrainian military has the upper hand. This advantage is mainly due to the large number of Ukrainian drone companies that have innovated new drone technologies. To continue to quell new Russian attacks, Ukraine must continue to innovate new drone technology and stay ahead of Russian counter-drone technology.
