Compass Points - Drone Attack
One million drones?
Compass Points - Drone Attack
One million drones?
April 26, 2024
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In a comprehensive article with elaborate graphics, Reuters is reporting, "How drone combat in Ukraine is changing warfare." When the use of drones began in the fighting in Ukraine, only a handful were used. Now, things have changed.
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The Ukrainian government aims to make a million FPV drones in 2024. To put that into context, it's around double the number of artillery shells supplied by the entire European Union over the past year.
-- Reuters
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Every new technology, however, generates counter-technologies. As fast as the number of drones has grown, anti-drone electronic warfare has grown just as fast. Electronic warfare against drones primarily involves jamming and spoofing. Electronic jammers block RF frequencies, leaving the drone without control. Spoofers send fake GPS signals. Electronic spoofing can take over a drone, allowing its data to be stolen and for the drone to be completely controlled by the spoofer.
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In its update the Institute for the Study of War reports on the drone electronic warfare battle going on now in Ukraine.
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Russian forces are reportedly fielding drones adapted to be more resilient against Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) capabilities on critical sectors of the frontline, likely in an attempt to leverage new technological capabilities to exploit a limited window before US security assistance arrives in Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda reported on April 15 that its sources in the Ukrainian General Staff stated that the number of Russian drones in “hot” sectors of the frontline has “at least doubled” in the past three months.[21] The Ukrainian General Staff sources reported that Russian forces are using modernized drones that operate on frequencies between 700 to 1,000 MHz, which are difficult for Ukrainian EW to jam . . . .
-- ISW
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Beyond electronic warfare, drones are generating even more counter-drone technologies. Military.com is reporting, "The Army Has Officially Deployed Laser Weapons Overseas to Combat Enemy Drones."
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The Army has officially deployed a pair of high-energy lasers overseas to blast incoming enemy drones out of the sky, the service recently confirmed, marking a major milestone for the U.S. military's ongoing development of futuristic directed-energy weapons.
The 20-kilowatt Palletized High Energy Laser, or P-HEL, "is currently deployed to support the Army's mission" in an undisclosed location abroad, a spokesman for the service's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, which manages its directed-energy portfolio . . . .
-- Military.com
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Lasers are an inexpensive point-to-point defense against drones. A laser can quickly knock out an incoming drone of nearly any size. But now counter-drone technology is already moving beyond even lasers.
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Speaking during a Senate Armed Service Committee hearing on Thursday, U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla argued that lawmakers should continue to invest in directed-energy weapons like high-powered microwaves rather than just high-energy lasers to combat the potential future threat of drone swarms.
"The bigger concern is if you start talking about swarms, so we need to continue to invest in things like high-powered microwave [sic] to be able to counter a drone swarm that is coming at you," Kurilla said. "I mean, nothing is 100%. And at some point, the law of statistics will come up to you. You have to have layered defense."
-- Military.com
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Are drones a critical new weapon on the battlefield today and tomorrow? Undoubtedly. Drones are both a new tool and a new threat. But every new technology generates new counter technologies. No amount of drones or anti-drone technology will prevent future conflicts and crises around the globe. US policy makers will always need military options when a crisis erupts. When US Navy amphibious ships loaded with a Marine Expeditionary Unit are out on patrol and are backed up by Maritime Prepositioning Ships and additional fly-in forces from the much larger Marine Expeditionary Force, not only do policy makers have more options, but adversaries are deterred, and allies assisted.
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For many decades, "Send in the Marines!" has been not only a familiar saying but also a potent policy prescription. Compass Points salutes all those active-duty Marines, Marine veterans, and friends of the Corps working to upgrade and enhance the Marine Corps’ ability to use drones and to counter drones. When Marines arrive off the coast of the next hostile, foreign shore, no matter whether enemy forces have zero drones, or they have swarms of drones. Marines must be fully organized, trained, and equipped to deter, assist, and fight.
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Reuters - 03/26/2024
How drone combat in Ukraine is changing warfare
By Mariano Zafra, Max Hunder, Anurag Rao and Sudev Kiyada
https://www.reuters.com/graphics/UKRAINE-CRISIS/DRONES/dwpkeyjwkpm/
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ISW - 04/25/2024
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 25, 2024
By Christina Harward, Nicole Wolkov, Grace Mappes, Riley Bailey, and Frederick W. Kagan
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-25-2024
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Military.com - 04/24/2024
The Army Has Officially Deployed Laser Weapons Overseas to Combat Enemy Drones
By Jared Keller
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Military.com - 03/08/2024
Top General in Mideast Calls for Microwave Weapons for 'Layered' Defense Against Drone Swarms
By Jared Keller
The concept is passive. You don’t destroy drones when they are in bound. You destroy where they are manufactured and where they deploy from. You destroy the parts to build them. You sabotage their circuitry. What does not arrive on the battlefield is key. You still need air defense for what does trickle on to the battlefield….
I know the USMC expert who pioneered the ExDrone. I believe another key MCCP member is also familiar with this project. I will maintain their anonymity. I believe General Gray was briefed on this project and was a fan.