Indian Strategic Studies: Military drones are transforming war — we need a doctrine to use them right
AI Analysis
The article highlights the increasing prevalence and evolving role of drones in modern warfare, noting a lack of comprehensive doctrine for their integration across most militaries. Recent attacks on US forces in Iraq/Syria demonstrate the threat posed by even commercially available drones, while nations like Turkey, China, and Iran are rapidly expanding their drone capabilities. The US is shifting focus towards drone defense as it reorients air defenses towards Asia.
Key Takeaways
- US response to drone attacks in Iraq/Syria underscores the growing threat.
- Lack of systematic drone doctrine across most militaries hinders effective integration.
- Proliferation of 'loitering munitions' (kamikaze drones) – exemplified by Turkish Alpagu and Iranian models – is changing battlefield dynamics.
- Even inexpensive, commercially available drones ('drones from Costco') pose a significant threat to forces.
- Countries like Turkey, China, and Iran are actively developing and exporting advanced drone technology (e.g., Bayraktar, Harop).
Why It Matters
The increasing accessibility and sophistication of drone technology necessitates a rapid development of counter-drone capabilities and comprehensive drone warfare doctrine. Failure to adapt could leave forces vulnerable to asymmetric attacks and undermine traditional air defense strategies. The expansion of drone warfare also raises concerns about escalation and the potential for proliferation to non-state actors.
Indian Strategic Studies: Military drones are transforming war — we need a doctrine to use them right
SETH J. FRANTZMAN
The weekend news that the U.S. launched airstrikes on the Iraq-Syria border in response to recent drone attacks on U.S. troops underscores the fact that drones in various forms are transforming the battlefield and pose increasing challenges for countries that seek to incorporate them — and the necessary defenses against them — in a way that is not just piecemeal.
A menagerie of systems — from the “loyal wingman” program in Australia, where drones act as a potential Sherpa alongside a manned aircraft, to Iran’s influence on kamikaze drone technology in the Middle East — is changing the role of drones on the battlefield. Attempts to incorporate small tactical drones into ground forces illustrate the daunting challenges.
Though these challenges are not new, most militaries have yet to adopt a systematic drone doctrine that deploys unmanned systems throughout their services. Drones have been around for decades — Israel used them in the 1980s to find Syrian air defense, for example. In the U.S., the Pentagon acquired the Predator and Global Hawk unmanned systems that came to be a staple of counter-insurgency operations. A 2005 roadmap for American unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) noted that there were some 20 types of drones in use that had flown 100,000 hours during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their range of missions was rapidly expanding, as was their diversity in size, from micro drones weighing less than a pound to the 32,000-pound Global Hawk.
While the Pentagon has fielded impressive UAV systems, from the Predator to the stealthy Sentinel, gaps remain in how to incorporate drones throughout the armed services and what the next drone war might look like. As the U.S. shifts air defenses from the Middle East to Asia, it is likely drones will play a role in future tensions with China. Key to the challenge is also defending against drone threats, such as the attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq in recent months. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, has warned about these increasing threats, including what he termed “drones from Costco” that could be used by militant groups.
Meanwhile, Turkey, China, Iran and other countries are fielding an impressive array of drones. Turkey is selling Bayraktars to Poland and Ukraine, and showcasing new tactical loitering munitions, such as the Alpagu. These types of smaller drones are fired out of a tube and the drone consists of a warhead so that it searches for a target and then flies into it like a missile. Such systems have become common in Iran, and among Iranian allies such as the Houthis and Hamas and pro-Iranian militants in Iraq. Another example are Israeli-made drones such as the Harop, a drone that can be used in a “suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD)” mission.
As warfare strategy changes, it’s unclear what role drones ultimately will play; no two major p