- High-tech systems combining drones, howitzers, and missiles decimate NATO’s heavy weaponry
- Simple, cheap kamikaze drones like the Geranium 3 prove effective against expensive tanks and infrastructure.
Times are changing. There was a time when battles were fought between warring sides by men mounted on horseback, armed with swords, clubs, and other weapons; then, the advent of the machine gun in World War I changed all that.
Today’s news is that the war in Ukraine is turning NATO’s big, expensive main battle tanks into scrap iron junk. These tanks, protected by the latest armour-plating and sporting enormous guns, along with all their accompanying support vehicles, are being destroyed by Russian warfare!
High technology and science have arrived on the battlefield with the capability of delivering 50 kg of high explosives with pinpoint accuracy to any chosen target within a battle zone – and from up to 800 km away! That is an astonishing technical advancement by anyone’s standards!
Technology convergence
It is, of course, the arrival of new thinking in the way of weapons of war. It is where several widely differing technologies have all been united into a unified system to identify targets and obtain accurate firing solutions. On the one hand, this results in reducing the costs of war, but on the other hand, it requires more inputs and more instrumentation to feed into those calculating computers!
The Russian military has net-centric howitzers (guns), drones, missile launchers, tanks (e.g., the T-90M Proryv), etc. When all these are linked together, they form nodes of a formidable network, providing multiples of power regarding accurate information – enabling the precise location of enemy heavy equipment, targeting, and destruction.
The day of the professional educated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has arrived. The Russian education system has finally paid off handsomely! Russian physicists have created computerized systems that combine many different technologies, making the destruction of war ‘push-button simple’!
Infrared beams, radar, the Glonass (GPS) system, optical systems, electronics, and related communication systems are all unified, combined, and put to work together – successfully!
Global arms market
One necessary consequence of all the Russian military successes is that the market (the demand) for NATO’s heavy armaments, MLRS, personnel carriers, and supporting equipment has evaporated – gone!! Now, countries all around the world are clamouring for Russian Hi-tech!
But, before closing any sales deals, Russia will require countries to get high-tech ‘savvy’ by being immersed and familiar with STEM subjects! It all gets simpler but requires more brain power!
Elon Musk has applied high technology to designing and building cars and has become successful and wealthy! President Putin has been driven to apply integrated sciences into armaments and war – and he has become successful, too!
Russian drones must not be confused with Russian missiles and rocketry. It is beneficial if the reader can familiarize themselves with the specialist jargon professionals use, e.g., Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Tactical and strategic considerations
In the battle zone, a division is made between short range, referred to as “tactical depth” (5-10 km), and “strategic depth” of up to 50 km behind the line of conflict. Significant steps are required to achieve the desired targeting objectives in either case. The first step involves obtaining a digital tactical terrain map showing buildings, enemy firing points, armoured vehicles, infantry shelters, etc., known as an ‘OrthoPhotoPlan.’ This is accomplished through digital photography by a drone.
Once this is done, speed becomes crucial. There must be only a short time between reconnaissance and attack, using, for example, a Multi-rotor drone or a fixed-wing UAV, such as a Geranium 3 kamikaze drone.
Specific basic modules are needed on a drone: flight control equipment, a communications module for enabling external command and controls, and machine vision equipment, all facilitated by software.
Relay Drones
Relay drones are necessary in some instances, such as ensuring the transmission of control signals or operating a video channel for drones with cameras or First Person View (FPV) drones.
Russia has developed a wide range of specialist drones to fulfil these requirements.
A significant turning point occurred when Russia started using Iranian-designed and made Sahed-136 drones. These are one-way Kamikaze drones made of simple materials powered by a small moped bicycle engine from China!
The first Sahed drones were not used extensively because they could not carry enough explosives. More explosives were needed to demolish enemy fortifications.
However, Russian designers have diligently worked to make these more efficient, much more dangerous, and often cheaper than US rocketry! The improvements include making the body of carbon composite black materials almost invisible to radar. They replaced the petrol engine with a jet engine, improved the guidance system, and increased the warhead to 40 kgs, using the explosive “OKFOL,” which is 1.7 times more powerful than TNT. The Russians named this modified Sahed drone KUB-BA or Geranium 3. They have created a cheap but formidable weapon to be used in swarms of up to twenty at a time, ensuring some of them succeed in getting through enemy hostile fire and reaching the target.
And they continually make improvements! At that cheap price, drones become an obvious choice for waging war.
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Versatile Role of Russian Drones
* Reconnaissance: Drones are deployed for gathering critical intelligence, providing real-time information about enemy positions and activities.
* Communication relay: Drones serve as communication hubs, relaying essential signals and facilitating seamless connectivity on the battlefield.
* Loitering drones: Hovering high in the sky, these drones wait for strategic opportunities, offering persistent surveillance and readiness for immediate action.
* Kamikaze drones: High-speed drones launched by catapult or rocket, designed for precision strikes with high explosives, showcasing Russia’s commitment to accuracy in warfare.
* Strategic depth: The application of drones extends beyond traditional roles, demonstrating Russia’s capability to adapt and innovate in diverse combat scenarios.
Priyantha Hettige