The battlefield in Ukraine has become an experimental ground for the rapid development of drone technology and innovative combat usage, where almost any need on the battlefield can be met in the shortest time possible. This reality is changing the essence of modern warfare. The United States is making rapid changes, developing a systematic anti-drone strategy to adapt to the long-term impact of drones on warfare.
Since the Ukrainian military introduced First Person View (FPV) drones last spring, these new combat means have greatly reshaped ground battles. With more and more Ukrainian forces using drones, FPV is quickly transitioning to anti-drone warfare.
In the second half of this year alone, publicly available information on social media shows that the Ukrainian military has intercepted over 650 drones at the frontlines and nearby, with most interceptions occurring in the 1,000 to 3,000 meters range. Similarly, the Ukrainian news truth organization “Tochnyi” has recorded and located over 850 cases of Ukrainian FPV drone intercepting Russian drones, further confirming the trend of using drones for anti-drone combat. Considering that many interception cases have not been recorded or disclosed, the actual number of Russian drone systems shot down by this technology may be higher.
As Ukraine successfully uses FPV drones for anti-drone interceptions, this combat method effectively removes Russia’s primary Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets from the battlefield, weakening the Russian military’s situational awareness and detection capabilities, which has become a significant battlefield change.
Due to limitations in satellite and airborne early warning capabilities, Russia’s ISR significantly relies on reconnaissance drones, crucial for providing target information to their large artillery firepower in a timely manner. Intercepting a large number of reconnaissance drones blinds the Russian artillery, providing Ukrainian forces with a breathing space and protecting them from Russian artillery and missile attacks on high-value targets, including Ukrainian air defense systems and airports.
Simultaneously, it renders attack drones or loitering munitions that rely on real-time reconnaissance, rapid target acquisition, and communication relay ineffective. The documented decrease in Russian “Lebed” drone attack incidents in recent months seems more than coincidental as these drones require coordination with “Zala” reconnaissance drones to attack targets. However, Ukrainian FPV drones can target both reconnaissance and attack drones, making them vulnerable. This is good news for Ukrainian forces engaged in combat near the front lines, especially for Ukrainian artillery units that have suffered heavy losses in “Lebed” drone attacks.
Shooting down more Russian ISR drones weakens the Russian military’s battlefield assessment ability, potentially affecting their subsequent operational deployment and tactics.
Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness and operational flexibility of FPV drones make them superior to any existing solutions in the Ukrainian military. Even for dispersed forces, they are easily resupplied, deployed, and utilized.
The first instance of using FPV drones to defeat enemy drones was pioneered by Ukrainian forces, opening a new field of combat and concept. The Ukrainian military is striving to maintain the extensive use of FPV drones in actual combat. UAV manufacturers like Wild Hornets and numerous private crowdfunding projects could position Ukraine as a leading country in the world for military drone technology iteration, production speed, and scale, capable of providing thousands of platforms monthly to frontline units.
The surge in FPV drone usage has also driven unprecedented combat practices and tactical enhancements, prompting Ukraine to establish dedicated FPV air defense units within its brigades and achieve rapid technological iteration. Ukraine is using artificial intelligence to enhance the automation level of terminal guidance for attacking drones to autonomously detect, identify, and track targets. This significantly reduces the training and technical requirements for drone operators, enabling broader drone usage within the forces.
Of course, the Russian military is not conceding in the drone field and relies on various standardized medium reconnaissance drones for ISR, including Zala 421, Supercam 350, and multiple variants of the Orlan series. This standardized approach promotes drone mass production and addresses internal interoperability issues within the Russian military.
Russia has begun imitating Ukrainian solutions and preventive measures to protect its reconnaissance drones from Ukrainian FPV attacks, such as simple camouflage and similar painting schemes to Ukrainian drones. They have also installed small RF jammers on drones to cut off video links to deprive drones of control. Some drones are equipped with rear-view wide-angle cameras to detect incoming Ukrainian FPV drones, giving operators ample time for evasion maneuvers to evade Ukrainian interceptions. However, these countermeasures seem to have limited effectiveness as Ukraine continues to develop new tactics in response, such as launching series intercept drones to maximize success chances and maneuvering rapidly from below to avoid the rear-view cameras of Russian drones, thus increasing interception success rates.
As both sides escalate drone warfare on the Ukrainian battlefield, the importance of anti-drone combat is rapidly growing and beginning to show fundamental tactical changes. The impact of various drones on modern warfare manifests in their very short technology refresh cycles, significantly high cost-effectiveness compared to other weapon systems, ease of large-scale production, and clear tactical effectiveness. Their lethality and ripple effects can directly or indirectly influence conventional main combat equipment, leading to a transformation in the nature of warfare.
On December 2nd, the Pentagon released a confidential strategic summary on anti-drone systems, unifying the US Department of Defense’s cross-domain, characteristic, and time-framed approach to address the urgent and enduring threats posed by the rapid development and rapid expansion of unmanned systems to US mainland and overseas personnel, facilities, and assets. These threats are changing the combat styles of modern warfare, compelling the US military to adapt.
The Pentagon emphasizes that by formulating a single strategy for unmanned systems and establishing a comprehensive approach to addressing this challenge, including establishing a Joint Counter-Small UAV Office, forming an advanced integration team of fighters to meet urgent combat needs, initiating the Replicator 2 program, and establishing critical infrastructure and specialized airborne systems forces to effectively defend against small UAV threats, the anti-drone system strategy helps the US military look beyond potential future threats.
Secretary of Defense Austin stated that in recent years, adversaries’ unmanned systems have developed rapidly. These low-cost systems are increasingly transforming the battlefield, threatening US facilities and causing casualties. To address this threat, a classified, comprehensive, cross-domain strategy should be swiftly formulated to chart a path to counter the current and future unmanned systems threats from adversaries.