The “spider web” has shown how much the modern war has changed. In the fields of its battles, leaps were made in technology and the use of unmanned aircraft, especially those of small size, which are used extensively in the battles on both sides.
The use of drones in the war began at the beginning of the 21st century, when the US carried out thousands of unmanned aircraft attacks in the context of the war against terrorism. But. In 2004, Iran entered the Drones Market in 2011, China and, though last, in 2018, Turkey within three years managed to overcome China and become the largest salesperson in the world.
This was contributed to the “advertisement” made by the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 by the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia for Nagorno-Karabach in 2020-the Azeris won him over 44 days thanks to the Turkish drones.
“Drones have been transformed by strategic tools into critical technologies for promoting power, defining the results of modern war.” says in “Step” Ralukas Chernatonpartner of Carnegie Europe, special in emerging defense technologies.
“In Ukraine, drones are crowded over the trenches. In 2020 and 2023 they helped Azerbaijan penetrate Armenia’s defense with lethal accuracy. The most sophisticated systems in the world are still produced in the US, Israel and more in China, but Turkey has a geopolitical vanguard through Drones diplomacy, which gives Ankara influence from Magreb to Donbas. “.
Unknown their number
Accurate information about how much regular (small), at a cost of a few hundred dollars, or strategically (longer range) drones, at a cost of up to millions of dollars, has not every country.
Ukraine is today the largest producer of small drones in the world. These drones are used in the battlefields and are the main reason why the fronts of the battle in eastern and southern Ukraine seem almost unmoved and to shift just a few meters the “sacrifice” of tens or even hundreds of soldiers requires the “sacrifice” of the “sacrifice” of tens or even hundreds of soldiers. Almost every fighting brigade of the Ukrainian army has aggressive drones, while most units have small identifiers.
Because they have more accuracy, for example, than artillery fire. Soldiers are afraid when they hear a drone halves, because it means either being monitored or targeted. The production of regular drones in Ukraine is so large, which can exceed four million per year (about 500 companies are active in this area), where drones could play a crucial role in the country’s post -war economic recovery.
Russia follows on foot. Only on the Ukrainian front, more than 100 types of drones are used on the two warring sides. Unmanned aircraft became necessary in this war and because manned warplanes have to face advanced anti -aircraft systems.
“The Ukraine war gives the best example of how drones vigorously change modern wars. Their relatively cheap technology destroys the costly defense systems, possibly foreseen further depreciation. For example, on May 2, a Ukrainian marine Drone Magura V5 equipped with R-73 rocket (worth about $ 433,000) destroyed a Russian SU-30 aircraft worth $ 50 million. On June 1 we saw Ukraine using 117 innovative drones to destroy 40 Russian military aircraft » says in “Step” RoslekiAmerican-Ukrainian expert on international security and founder of the Counseling Company Black Trident Defense and Security Consulting Group with a key subject to Ukraine.
The enormous use of drones by state and non -players in conflict around the world also leads to increased demand for the development of means to prevent them. Last December, the American Pentagon released the new strategy against drones that coordinates how the various bodies of the Armed Forces will face the threat from unmanned aircraft.
Some consider drones revolution in modern war
“Military drones are a decisive factor in modern war, as we see in Ukraine, where they have caused more human casualties than any other weapon.” This year’s report by the European Parliament. The EU has prioritized the development of drones and systems to prevent them.
Ukraine turned to drones production out of necessity because it was facing deficiencies in artillery and missiles. For the same reasons, drones are now used in all conflicts around the world – Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar and Houthi’s attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.
The Ukrainian front, however, due to the huge number of drones used and the technological race between the two warring sides to improve them, is a “live laboratory” to test them in real war conditions. Due to Ukrainian know -how, the EU, developed by Eurodrone, founded an EUDIO Office in Kiev last September.
According to the EU Security Institute of Studies, while some consider drones a revolution in modern war, others believe that they are merely an interesting development. It is certain that they take more and more missions, from attacks (with disposable drones or reusable) to espionage and from throwing mines to transporting soldiers on the front when the roads are blocked by the enemy.
“The character of war changes at a pace faster than we have ever seen in the past.” said in his deposition in Congress the American general Bryin Fedon In April. “Our opponents use $ 10,000 drones that we bump with two million dollars. The cost curve – benefits has been reversed. ”
Cooperated the Ioanna Kleftogiannis.
