The Ukrainian counter-offensive is progressing slowly but surely in the face of many odds and a well dug-in enemy who has extensively mined the area. Ukrainian forces have fought hard and must be well aware that it is going to be a long haul in reclaiming their legitimate territory.
Very intelligently, Ukraine has sought to balance its numerical disadvantage by employing drones for long range strikes and these have achieved some spectacular results. Although drones came into prominence in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict in NagornoKarabakh, Israel had used drones very effectively in the Bekka valley conflict against Syria in 1982. Developments in drone technology and employing them in the attack role was a paradigm shift.
While Israel and USA were the pioneers, other countries such as China, Turkey and Russia soon followed suit. Armed drones or Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) have now become a much sought after platform by all leading militaries.
Coming back to the Russia-Ukraine war, drones have been used in roles such as reconnaissance, targeting, intelligence gathering and in direct kinetic action (strikes). In April 2022, Ukrainian forces sank the Moskva cruiser, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This operation saw Bayraktar TB2 drones deflect Russia’s air defence systems, enabling the Neptune anti-ship missiles to strike its target, uncontested.
Since then, the battlespace has seen an intensive use of drones, marking a shift in tactics and technology. The war has seen different drone systems in use, ranging from the very small – such as the Black Hornet with a wingspan of only 12 centimetres to those with wingspan of over 15 meters. It is the smaller ones that have played an important role, much beyond their size.
Initially Russia was in the forefront in using One Way Attack (OWA) drones, commonly known as kamikaze drones. However, Ukraine soon followed suit modifying several commercial drones. This ensured availability of effective, low-cost systems at mass scale. Although not optimized for survivability, their low cost and easy availability more than offset their losses.
Ukraine also effectively tapped the sympathy factor in its favour by sourcing funds and drones through crowdfunding efforts. The ‘Army of Drones’ programme, co-sponsored by the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Communication, raises money globally. Ukraine has a United 24 website where it receives all kinds of drone donations. This has resulted in a steady induction of drones. Due to the exigencies of war, Ukraine’s military-industrial complex has responded innovatively to its national needs. Thanks to the Russian invasion,
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