Drones in Modern Warfare: Lessons Learnt from the War in Ukraine

  • October 29, 2024

28 October, 2024 / Dr Oleksandra Molloy, Australian Army Occasional Paper No. 29

Abstract

Drone operations have added a new chapter to modern warfare. In Ukraine,
uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) have become an important weapon to gain
an asymmetric edge over Russian forces. The lessons learnt from the use
of UAS in Russia’s war against Ukraine are almost innumerable and extend
from the individual soldier level to tactical, strategic and government levels.
This paper summarises highlights from the first evidence-based research
on the lessons learnt from the use of UAS to date in the war in Ukraine,
drawing on both Ukrainian and Australian expertise.
Overall, multi-domain and cross-domain uncrewed systems (UxS) represent
a transformative advance in military technology, reflecting significant
investment and development worldwide. As nations continue developing
and deploying these systems, it is crucial to understand their implications
and integration into Australian tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs).
By maintaining an accelerated cycle of innovations and learning from
Ukraine, nations such as Australia have the opportunity to stay ahead of
their adversaries, ensuring that they are prepared to meet contemporary
and future strategic challenges during conflicts.
One lesson from the war in Ukraine remains clear—uncrewed systems are
disrupting the way modern warfare is being fought, and rapid technological
adaptation and continuous innovation in UxS will be critical in future
warfare. This paper provides recommendations for the Australian Defence
Force (ADF) to understand both the opportunities and the limitations that
drones bring to inform future doctrine, training and planning, as well as
future investments in these technologies that can have an asymmetric
effect on the battlefield.

To read the whole article go here:

https://researchcentre.army.gov.au/sites/default/files/241022-Occasional-Paper-29-Lessons-Learnt-from-Ukraine_2.pdf

Credit to: Dr Oleksandra Molloy