The way wars are waged is changing rapidly, as new technologies overturn military doctrines in everything from procurement to operations execution. Approaches to developing and improving weapons are also changing. Ukraine is at the forefront of these changes, writes UNN.
A key feature of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and likely other major conflicts ahead, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal, is that once cutting-edge weapons and technologies become obsolete within months. Adaptability, iteration speed, and learning rates come to the fore, rather than the technologies themselves.
One example of adaptability is Ukraine's new procurement system for drones, which account for over 90% of enemy losses, electronic warfare systems, and some other key types of weapons. It fundamentally differs from how Western militaries operate with their centralized defense budgets.
Under the system introduced in August 2025, Ukrainian brigades are credited with "electronic points" based on the number of Russian soldiers and equipment units they have successfully destroyed, with drone video footage serving as proof. Converting these "electronic points" into money through the "Delta" battlefield management network, brigades can quickly purchase new systems directly from manufacturers via a classified online marketplace. As direct relationships develop, weapons become, in a way, a subscription service rather than an object that is constantly updated and reworked according to changing battlefield conditions.
"There has been a mental revolution at the procurement level, as well as at the military and political leadership level," The Wall Street Journal quotes Iryna Terekh, CEO and CTO of Fire Point, one of Ukraine's leading next-generation defense companies producing drones and missiles. "We have moved away from the model where engineers receive a precise order to manufacture a specific missile, tank, or drone, and moved to a model where engineers are on the front line, sitting, smoking, drinking coffee with the troops, and figuring out what the problem is and how to solve it together."
Instead of viewing drones as just another weapon within the existing military structure, Ukraine has recognized drone warfare as a separate domain.
"The domain is time. The point is to shorten the kill chain by eliminating human and manual steps, meaning that at every step you reach the decision to destroy and execute it faster than your enemy," says Oleh Rogynskyi, CEO of Uforce, a manufacturer of naval and aerial drones.
The Wall Street Journal notes that Ukraine's fast and innovative approach is, of course, difficult to replicate for countries that are not actually engaged in wars and therefore do not expend large quantities of munitions that need replacement.
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"If we in Europe decide to start producing millions of small drones, like those made in Ukraine, and in eight months they all become obsolete, what do we do with them?" muses Mauro Gilli, professor of military strategy and technology at the Hertie School in Berlin.
In this environment, the ability to change quickly along with technology becomes a crucial component of defense.
"It is now impossible to imagine war without drones, but you never know what will happen in five years, where the battlefield will be, and whether drones will be the best tool to use there," believes Dutch Minister of Defense Dylan Yeshilgöz-Zegerius. He emphasizes the need for a flexible industry, as well as an army and government that, unfortunately, do not act quickly.
To keep up, defense manufacturers and military commanders must rethink how they operate and which parts of traditional equipment and doctrine fit the new way of warfare.
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