Russia’s drone attack on Ukraine last year sparked the largest war in Europe since World War II, during which both sides made extensive use of cutting-edge weaponry.
As a result, the fighting in Ukraine has introduced the world to new technologies that are challenging traditional military thought. The widespread use of drones is arguably the most significant advancement.
Drones in Military Operations
Both sides have utilized military and commercial drones of various sizes and capabilities for a variety of missions. Numerous conduct aerial reconnaissance, transmit vital intelligence to the ground, and coordinate artillery fire.
Some can fire anything from small grenades and mortar-sized munitions against infantry and mechanized forces to missiles and rockets against vehicles and fortifications.
The Russian military has trained its troops, from the front lines to the rear, to use and shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Electronic Warfare’s Effect on Ukraine’s Weapons
The Russian military has experimented with unmanned aerial systems or vehicles for a considerable amount of time. In 2015, following Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine, they were deployed in Syria.
In response to its increased use of and exposure to unmanned aerial vehicles, the Russian military has increased its anti-drone training. The threat is currently regarded as so pervasive that the vast majority of Russian troops, regardless of their military specialization, receive training in drone identification and countermeasures.
The entire military now routinely conducts training against unmanned aerial systems. In fact, anyone wearing a Russian military uniform must be able to operate, whether they are a soldier, a cook, a medic, or anyone else. In a February episode of the Modern War Institute’s Urban Warfare Project Podcast, CNA analyst Samuel Bendett was cited as an expert on Russian military technology.
The Russian military is working on its own unmanned aerial and ground vehicles that are equipped with sophisticated defenses against electronic warfare techniques like jamming.
Ukraine has been rife with electronic warfare. Early in the conflict, Russian electronic warfare capabilities frequently clashed with one another, which Western experts termed electronic fratricide.
However, their performance has improved and they appear to have had an impact on Ukraine’s weapons, including those supplied by the West.
Recently leaked US Defense Department intelligence documents indicate that Russian troops have used GPS jamming to counter US-supplied smart bombs known as Joint Direct Attack Munitions, causing them to fail to detonate or miss their intended targets.
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