The Economist: Ukrainian kamikaze drones are the weapons of the future

The Economist: Ukrainian kamikaze drones are the weapons of the future

Kyiv  •  UNN

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Ukrainian kamikaze drones, which are cheap, easy to operate, and have proven effective against russian troops and equipment, are called the weapon of the future by The Economist.

Simple, cheap and accurate kamikaze drones, which are actively used by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, are the weapons of the future. The Economist writes about it, UNN reports.

Details

Ukrainian drones, in particular, became one of the weekly covers for the Economist.

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The publication notes that the use of FPV drones along the entire front line is increasing. These small drones, which can penetrate an enemy tank or dugout, cause significant losses to infantry and armored vehicles. 

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In addition, the journalists noted that unlike artillery shells with gps guidance, this is a simple, effective and incredibly cheap weapon. Basic fpv drones are revolutionary simple. In fact, they are racing quadcopters equipped with explosives and cost only a few hundred dollars.

At the same time, for objective reasons, they cannot currently replace artillery. For example, FPV drones carry a small amount of explosives, have a rather limited range, and are dependent on weather conditions. 

Despite this, such drones can still cause great damage. The publication notes that in just one week last fall , Ukrainian drones helped destroy 75 russian tanks and 101 large guns

The Economist also emphasized that today the use of FPV drones is limited due to the small number of experienced pilots and the large number of electronic warfare systems on the battlefield. At the same time, Ukraine and russia are already looking for options to solve this problem. 

Both countries are actively experimenting with autonomous navigation and target recognition. Artificial intelligence has been available in consumer drones for many years and is rapidly improving. 

The first party to master this technology in Ukraine could gain a temporary but decisive advantage in firepower, a prerequisite for any breakthrough

- writes The Economist

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Addendum

The publication adds that, given the way the war in Ukraine is going, Kyiv's Western partners have begun to modernize their own armies. In particular, the Pentagon is already starting to create thousands of inexpensive drones and ammunition capable of withstanding China's huge forces. 

However, cheap and high-quality weapons attract not only the military. The Economist says that even in Myanmar, where rebels have recently defeated government forces, volunteers can use 3D printers to make key components and assemble airframes in small workshops.

Probably criminal groups and terrorists are unlikely to be far behind the militias

Recall

The Wall Street Journal writes that over the past year Ukraine has moved to producing its own attack drones at about 200 factories across the country. In six months , drone production increased 10-fold.

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