Wars have always been a laboratory for the development of technology, which historically owes many of its leaps to its “soldiering” on some front. The needs at the front are ever increasing, the time pressure enormous, the willingness to fund research unquestionable. It could not be otherwise in the case of the war in Ukraine. The area where this becomes most apparent is in drone technology, especially the small and cheap quadcopters that have evolved from a toy for gadget fanatics into a central tool of war.

This is a revolution in the tactics of war, which the experts are talking about. And which is often justified by the argument that it can limit human losses. It is one thing to shoot down a manned bomber or spy plane and another thing to shoot down a mechanical “drone” as it is literally translated.

Just on Wednesday, Ukraine launched a massive drone strike against Russia, putting the latter’s air defenses on alert. This is also a part of psychological warfare, regardless of whether the alleged explosive device is usually intercepted and does not reach its target.

Drones of course have many different uses. Both sides use hundreds of them every day to track and record enemy movements. And competition at the technological level “runs”.

A new industry

For Russia it is difficult to have exact figures, although the TASS News Agency often publishes photos of new “models”. In Ukraine, for which there is evidence in the Western press, there were six enterprises operating before the war, which produced the specific flying objects. Most of the time they were actually assembling parts that came from China. Today there are more than 200 such manufacturing enterprises on Ukrainian soil, while the technology has enjoyed moments of glory in a number of other countries, supplying both warring sides, including Turkey, Iran and North Korea.

But the increase is not only quantitative, but mainly qualitative, since the needs of the war gave ideas for new functions, for better and bigger models with a longer range and above all with the possibility of carrying small bombs and being able to attack in swarms against it enemy. It is estimated that a total of over 2 million such units are being built this year in Ukraine alone. If you’re wondering what these companies would do if the war ended tomorrow, you won’t find an answer. However, it would be impossible for the “personal entertainment” sector to absorb such amounts.

New innovative technologies

The transition from an almost “cottage industry” to mass industry was therefore made in record time. The latest development is the use of the model with digital glasses, which gives the operator the feeling of being in a kind of cockpit and has much more precise handling and aiming. Along with the small helicopters, the cameras they carry have improved, especially for shooting at night, while another innovation is the ability to operate several drones together by a single and trained “swarm” operator.

Even when they are shot down by the enemy, they partially serve their purpose, since often the projectiles used to repel them can cost more than themselves. Of course, the psychological factor of such attacks is also important, as was seen in the much-lauded Iranian drone attack against Israel.

Looking for the… antidote

Of course, together with the threatening small helicopters or “airplanes” themselves, the technologies to deal with them are also evolving, with the exact aim of reducing the cost of air defense. Here the emphasis is on the field of electronic warfare, where attempts are made to disrupt their connection with the operator, so that they are sent by the defender to places where they will not cause damage or casualties. For the operator there is also always the risk of his position being detected and counterattacked with the aim of his own neutralization before he can send the armed drone to its target.

This is why research is being conducted to perfect fully autonomous drones, in “kamikaze missions” that will be directed to their target without the help of a pilot. Here hopes have been placed heavily on Artificial Intelligence technology. A high-definition camera sends real-time data to a computer, which determines the drone’s flight plan.

In the meantime, ethical issues have begun to arise, which will soon concern international organizations. A computer, for example, can unhesitatingly strike with lethal effect a human target that a human eye and hand might hesitate to aim. The issue is very new and there are no international agreements on the “principles of war” for the use of these weapons.