Modern Warfare
72 Drones in Modern War
Peyton Mast and Brendan Popielec
Introduction
The advent of drone technology has significantly transformed the landscape of modern warfare (Kreps & Lushenko, 2023). This technology has introduced a new dimension to how wars are fought, changing traditional warfare tactics and strategies. This chapter explores the evolution of drone use in war, its effectiveness, and the societal and ideological perspectives surrounding it. It also delves into the role of technology in modern warfare and provides examples of how drone technology is being utilized in current conflicts, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The Evolution and Effectiveness of Drones
Drones have emerged as a crucial component in the arsenal of modern militaries. Kreps and Lushenko (2023) argue that drones have not revolutionized warfare but have certainly evolved it. Drones offer a unique blend of precision, surveillance capabilities, and reduced risk to human life, making them an attractive option for military operations. While this author demonstrates that the effectiveness of drones is still undecided, the conflict in Ukraine has shown the power that drones hold on the war.
Drones have evolved into two main methods. One is long-range strike drones that deliver strikes at long distances with high accuracy, and examples are the Bayraktar TB2 (Ukrainian) or the Shahed 136 (Russian). The other is short-range first-person view (FPV) drones for quick, short-range strikes. The tiny, inexpensive FPV (first-person view) drone has proved to be one of the most potent weapons in this war (Zafra et al., 2024). Thompson states these FPV drones are developed off of “hobbyist” drones and are civilian products that can be repurposed for “special effect” (2024). They These two methods of drone strike have the same objective of destroying high-value targets with cheaper, quicker drones with large impact damage.
During the time since the war started in Ukraine, advancements to the capabilities of drones have increased. Evolutions such as AI implementation, long rage communication and quick deployment capabilities have revolutionized the war. These improvements have made the use of drones in war much more prevalent. As drone prevention methods have grown in effectiveness, the evolution of drones has led to the creation of automated intelligence drone systems that lock onto targets and stay locked onto them (Zafra et al., 2024). Evolutions such as this are only to become more common as drones become more of the war not only in the Russian-Ukraine War but in the world.
Societal and Ideological Perspectives
The use of drones in warfare also carries significant societal implications. Campbell (2022) discusses how ideological and religious perspectives shape society’s views on war. The introduction of drones into this complex matrix adds another layer of debate, particularly concerning the ethics of drone warfare and the value of human life in conflict. The author suggest