1. Unmanned technologies as a factor of the military revolution
According to Zaluzhnyi, drones have become not just an auxiliary tool, but a key element of modern combat power. Today, up to two-thirds of enemy losses at the front are due to the use of drones. This indicates a shift in emphasis from traditional artillery to highly mobile, accurate, and cheap remote strike platforms.
2. Comparison with Historical Technological Turning Points
Zaluzhny puts the proliferation of drones on a par with such epochal changes as the invention of radio, computers, and satellites. Although the impact of drones is smaller in scale than, for example, the invention of gunpowder, their role in changing the principles of warfare cannot be overstated. Drones are shaping a new paradigm of combat, where surveillance, accuracy, and cheapness are becoming the decisive factors.
3. The Tactical and Strategic Importance of Drones
Drones provide an unprecedented advantage in defense operations: they make it impossible to covertly concentrate troops without risking immediate destruction. This fundamentally changes the possibilities of offensive actions and forces us to reconsider approaches to planning operations.
4. Three Key Technological Innovations of War
Zaluzhnyi emphasizes:
– Tactical drones (including land and sea platforms) that cause direct damage to the enemy;
– Electronic warfare (EW) tools that interfere with enemy UAVs;
– Sensor platforms that provide constant reconnaissance and control over the situation on the battlefield.
5. Economics of War: Reducing the Cost of Arms as a Strategic Advantage
Significant reductions in the cost of munitions (e.g., an FPV drone is 10 times cheaper than an artillery shell) make war of attrition affordable even for countries with limited resources. This changes the logic of military budgets and strategic planning.
6. Criticism of NATO’s Approaches
Zaluzhny accuses NATO armies of ignoring the development of new technologies and relying on the old multi-domain concepts. In modern warfare, this can result in catastrophic losses if Western armies find themselves on a battlefield dominated by drones and electronic warfare.
7. Misconceptions about “maneuver warfare”
Many Western militaries continue to believe that they are able to fight a war better than the Ukrainian Armed Forces due to maneuver tactics. However, this assessment ignores the new reality, where drones do not complement but transform the very nature of maneuver.
8. The West lags behind in the drone race
Although Ukraine is leading the way in drone use, Russia is demonstrating equally rapid adaptation and production. The West’s lag is measured not in months, as in the case of Russia, but in years. This creates an asymmetric threat to NATO in the event of a direct conflict.
9. Vulnerability of current defense doctrines
Existing NATO defense plans (for example, in the Baltic states) assume the possibility of partial loss of territory with its subsequent liberation. However, Zaluzhnyi points out that it is highly likely that it will be extremely difficult to regain the lost territory given the current technological situation.
10. Training Priorities: Human Resources are More Important Than Technology
The main deficit is not drones as such, but trained operators. Drones should be seen as “ammunition,” while experienced pilots are a key element of combat effectiveness. A large-scale training program for UAV and EW specialists in NATO armies is already needed.
# GATA
