How have drones changed the rules of war in Ukraine?
A new era
In the war in Ukraine, thousands of drones have been used by both sides to target the enemy, launch missiles and assist artillery. Ukraine uses Turkish Bayraktar TB2s, which have a wingspan of 12 meters, are equipped with cameras, can carry bombs and fly at 7,600 meters at a speed of 220 km/h. Ukraine started the war with less than 50 Bayraktars and most have been shot down by Russian air defenses because they are large, relatively slow and fly at a relatively low altitude.
On the other hand Russia has the smaller Orlan-10, with similar capabilities and started the war with thousands of them. Their radar footprint is small and they usually fly in groups of three at 1,500 meters.
Both are extremely adept at spotting enemy targets and directing artillery fire.
Russian forces can target the enemy in just three to five minutes once the Orlan-10 detects the target. Without them, an attack would take 20-30 minutes. If you wanted to find enemy positions in the past, you had to send in special forces and you could lose troops. Now all you risk is a drone. – Dr. Martina Miron, King’s College London
However, commercial drones also play an important role in the war. A Bayraktar costs about $2 million, while a DJI Mavic 3 costs $1,700. It is only 30 centimeters long and can reach 6,000 meters in height and 30 kilometers in range. How many of them are in use is unknown, but estimates speak of 6,000 drones. They can be equipped with small bombs, however they are mainly used for reconnaissance.
But how does one defend against drones?
Russia uses radar to detect Bayraktars and other electronic devices to shoot down commercial drones. Specifically, he uses the Stupor, a rifle that fires electromagnetic pulses, rendering GPS navigation of drones useless. There is also the Aerospace system which detects and disrupts communications between commercial drones and their operators.
Russia is now buying Shahid drones from Iran, while the US has supplied Ukraine with 700 Switchblades which are equipped with explosives. They are launched like mortars and remain in the air until they locate their target. Then they dive like a “kamikaze” on the target.
