Retired Canadian Rear Admiral: Ukraine Leads Global Battlefield Innovation
A retired Canadian Navy Rear Admiral stated that from drones to ground robots, Kyiv is a global leader in battlefield innovation. Ukraine has introduced a new type of air-drop bomb to reduce reliance on precise strike weapons from Europe and the US.
According to the Ukrainian News Agency Ukrinform on Friday (August 21), Mark Norman, former Deputy Minister of Defense Staff for Canada and retired Rear Admiral, stated that Ukraine remains one of the fastest countries in the world in terms of battlefield innovation.
Norman said, “Ukraine is still a leader in the field of combat innovation… It not only maintains a lead in technology but also in how to use these technologies in military operations, and in adjusting new tactics to stay ahead, there are areas we all can learn from.”
Mark Norman believes that modern defense cannot solely rely on a single weapon or technological advantage. To be effective, there must be synchronous development of traditional military capabilities alongside new, unconventional solutions. These elements should operate together as part of the same system, rather than competing with each other.
He stated that Ukraine’s war experiences demonstrate that combat effectiveness on the battlefield depends on the integrated use of different capabilities, “No single capability can bring victory alone, which is exactly what we see on the frontlines in Ukraine.”
Recently, Canada and Latvia have organized joint military exercises to analyze the combat experience of the Ukrainian armed forces. The soldiers of the two countries have focused on studying the use of drones and ground robot systems on the battlefield.
According to a report from Ukrinform on Friday, Ukraine is actively advancing the upgrade of domestically produced military equipment to reduce reliance on foreign precision-guided weapons.
The report cited a Ukrainian military official who revealed that Ukraine has begun purchasing a domestically produced gliding bomb named “Vyrivniuvach” (Balancer). This bomb is primarily based on existing conventional bombs but with added wings and guidance systems, allowing it to be dropped and targetted from a safer distance.
The “Vyrivniuvach” bomb was developed by the Ukrainian company DG Industry and supported by the government-backed defense technology organization “Brave1.”
Currently, the Ukrainian Air Force heavily relies on the US-provided “Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range” (JDAM-ER), “Small Diameter Bombs,” and the French-made “Hammer” Glide Bombs for long-range precision strikes.
If the domestically produced “Vyrivniuvach” bomb is widely used, Ukraine will have more autonomous choices in guided bomb supplies, potentially reducing reliance on military aid from the US and Europe.