literally impossible to exaggerate how much drones have changed the experience of warfare. this is the primary weapons system and battlefield killer of our age.
Reposted from
Jason "Red5" Lyall
A Thousand Snipers in the Sky: The New War in Ukraine
- 70% of Ukrainian and Russian casualties now inflicted by drones, replacing artillery
- drones now kill more armored vehicles than all other weapons *combined*
- Ukraine built more than 1 million drones in 2024, aiming for 3-4 million thus year
- 70% of Ukrainian and Russian casualties now inflicted by drones, replacing artillery
- drones now kill more armored vehicles than all other weapons *combined*
- Ukraine built more than 1 million drones in 2024, aiming for 3-4 million thus year
Comments
Robots can independently mass slaughter us all they need is for someone to make them
Wait
Drones are a big force multiplier and FPV drones have their uses, but they don’t replace AirPower or artillery.
https://bsky.app/profile/aelkus.bsky.social/post/3lji3xswz2k23
Which gives us a hint that Artillery fills roles Drones can’t fully replace.
Just want to dampen the hype a bit 😅
With air cover, maneuver is possible
1. Clear air supremacy
2. Sufficient aircraft and munitions to exercise that supremacy in a way that would render drones less useful
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2025/02/23/anduril-drone-factory-protest-columbus-ohio/79808034007/
It should also be noted that China is teaching millions of kids to pilot FPV drones in PE classes in school. A brilliant strategy.
NATO doctrine is entirely built around air superiority, and if achieved current drone tech is a non-factor for conventional land war.
The sea drones, though, are game-changing
If you have air supremacy, especially with advanced ISR capability, you just target the drone factories and supply lines where drone parts come in.
The US killed the leaders of both countries and destroyed their ability to project power regionally for generations.
And US could do that again as many times as they want, US could easily do that in Ukraine. Or even against Russia if they didn't have nukes.
It’s a new and important dimension, but it’s not like countermeasures are unimaginable.
The US Navy does not even have a good answer for the relativelly primitive-by-comparison USS Cole attack tactics, if they're being honest.
Ukraine has almost totally neutralized Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
The drones need to be manufactured and transported into the battlespace.
Hard to do that significant scale with your skies totally belonging to a sophisticated power.
Also, with air supremacy comes CAS options that would be unthinkable otherwise, all vastly superior to suicide drones and trying to drop grenades on people.
Current drones are a useful and cheap addition to your choic of fires.
NATO air doctrine means systematically taking out all fires. And factories.
Really can't compare MAF to, say, US or NATO joint air capabilities (especially when it comes to ISR).
Current drone tech in a total war between major powers wouldn't make a huge difference.
Especially for insurgency and counterinsurgency.
But if Russia had air superiority over Ukraine, Ukraine's drones would NOT be nearly as big of a factor.
Ukraine and Russia are both countries that rely on decentralized brigades and artillery. These numbers probably reflect what drones do under those conditions.
JFC
I don't agree with his choices, but how awful was it for him to feel cornered and trying to defend himself with a stick while being cornered?
That being said, there’s probably an articulated laser countermeasure.
Apologies for the long comments.
The current tech can’t be much more.
I’m seeing Telegram footage of AFU drones hitting Red Army D30s and 2S19s implying a range of 25kms.
Hence the focus on that tech.
Also, he might've been a Bastard.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088024/
Yet now he's not so much in favor of backing NIH research, etc.
do we have 630 F-35s, with plans to buy 1800 more?