Minding the drone gap: Drone warfare and the EU
AI Analysis
The article discusses the increasing prevalence and impact of drones in global conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, where drones are becoming central to warfare strategies. The European Union is urged to consider the implications of this shift and potentially adapt its defense policies accordingly.
Key Takeaways
- Drones are becoming a dominant force in modern warfare, as seen in Ukraine and other global conflicts.
- Both state and non-state actors are increasingly deploying drones in various regions, including the Middle East and Africa.
- Drones vary widely in type, from inexpensive multicopters to costly ISR aircraft, and are used for both reconnaissance and attack.
- The scale of drone use and attrition is rapidly expanding, with Ukraine and Russia producing and deploying massive quantities.
- The EU is challenged to address the strategic implications of drone warfare and adapt its defense strategies.
Why It Matters
The strategic significance lies in the transformative impact drones have on modern warfare, shifting traditional military dynamics and necessitating new defense strategies. The EU must consider these developments to maintain security and defense capabilities in an evolving technological landscape.
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Minding the drone gap: Drone warfare and the EU
Metadata
11 October 2024Reading time: 10 minutesBy:[Jan Joel Andersson],[Sascha Simon] [Brief_2024-17_Drones (1).pdf] Artillery dominates the war in Ukraine, but is the drone fast replacing it as the ‘King of Battle’? Ukraine’s military leadership suggested as much in May 2024, stating that ‘drones kill more soldiers on both sides than anything else’(1). Drones have become ubiquitous in conflicts all around the world, from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza/Israel/Lebanon to the civil wars in Sudan, Syria and Myanmar. They are also increasingly deployed by non-state actors across the Middle East and Africa. While some argue that this represents a revolutionary shift in warfare, others see it as more of an evolutionary development. However, the broader implications and conclusions to be drawn remain a subject of debate(2). So, what is the impact of drones on modern warfare? And how should the EU respond?
Defining drones
In the military, ‘drone’ used to be a term for remotely controlled aircraft utilised for gunnery practice. Today, the term ‘drone’ encompasses a wide range of devices, from inexpensive weaponised recreational multicopters to uncrewed jet-sized aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) that can cost millions. In Ukraine, both sides daily deploy thousandsof drones of all sizes and types. Aerial drones (uncrewed aerial vehicles –UAVs) remain most prevalent, but maritime drones also have a significant impact in the Black Sea and land drones (uncrewed ground vehicles– UGVs) are emerging on the battlefield(3). While the variety of drones is rapidly expanding, so is the scale of their use and attrition. Reliable figures are hard to find, but production data indicates that drone consumption by both Russia and Ukraine is massive. Ukraine claims to have built more than a million drones in the first half of 2024(4). Russia in turn is reported to procure 100 000 low-tier drones monthly from domestic and foreign sources(5). The impact of these drones varies significantly however depending on their type, making it necessary to define the term more closely. Drones can be armed or unarmed; used for ISR or effect; they can be recoverable or one-way-attack (OWA) drones that self-destruct on impact; or they can be remotely piloted with first-person view (FPV) goggles or programmed as loitering munitions to search for a predefined target. Moreover, many OWA drones are now treated as consumables, not unlike artillery shells, while others are more akin to cruise missiles(6). Growing niche applications include everything from dropping mines to breathing