The Drone War: Lessons from Ukraine and the Future of Combat
Military drones are rapidly transforming modern warfare. In Ukraine, unmanned systems dominate reconnaissance, targeting and battlefield coordination, creating what experts call a “transparent battlefield”. From German Vector reconnaissance drones to loitering munitions and swarm-capable systems, drones now guide artillery, track enemy movements and conduct precision strikes. Artificial intelligence enables navigation without GPS, autonomous target recognition and coordination between air, ground and naval drones. Major powers including Russia, China and NATO states are racing to scale production and integrate unmanned systems into networked combat clouds. While humans still make final decisions, the Ukraine war shows that future conflicts will be impossible without drones, AI and autonomous systems working alongside soldiers.
00:00 – Introduction: Drones as “all-purpose weapons” – overview and impact 14:46 – Autonomy over remote control: drones for transport and casualty evacuation 29:46 – Electronic warfare “cat-and-mouse”: jamming and countermeasures 41:08 – Networked battlefield systems: AI integration and swarm concepts
