Lessons on Low-Cost Deterrence and Drones From Ukraine

Speaking at the 2024 AFA Warfare Symposium, Gen. James Hecker described what the U.S. has learned from unmanned aerial vehicles-or UAVs-in Ukraine, and how they will change warfare. Images: AFP/Getty Images/U.S. Air Force via AP Composite: Mark Kelly (03/12/24)
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[@hardykornfeld1733]

I’m glad to see that at least some in the U.S. military are taking the lessons of Russia’s war in Ukraine seriously.

[@oldmandan3758]

Indeed. This war and technology has changed warfare and terrorism significantly. Anyone can afford drones and simple bombs. Worse yet, they can be deployed anywhere. All it takes is a very angry group of people in your own country to start using technology to create terrorism at home. The world is becoming a truly frightening place. Autocracy has got to go!

[@petunized]

Lockheed can't make much money on cheap drones. So it's unacceptable for the US

[@rangerrick2246]

don't think that just because you haven't heard about it that it didn't or isn't happening. The US has been working on drones for more than 20 years. The good ones are BIG, and that is what most people think is all that we have. Don't believe it. What is being learned is how to do more with less in a way that superpowers don't need to do, so the unintended result is something that wasn't planned for

[@331SVTCobra]

@@petunized You don't know how defense acquisition works. The MIC can't just walk up to the pentagon and say "buy this expensive new thing". That just doesn't happen. The pentagon is well aware of the limits of existing technology and future threats. It receives a mission from the government, which includes requirements such as "be able to fight a major war in Europe and a second war in either the Middle East or Korea", and then they determine to the best of their ability what will be needed in order to have that capability for the next twenty years. If the current aircraft were designed during the Nixon administration (F-15, F-16, and the F-17 which is the basis of the SuperHornet) then they will start developing a new aircraft to give us warfighting capabilities relevant to 2035. If the DoD determines that a mix of drones will augment current systems (aircraft carriers and tanks) then Lockheed, Northrop, and GD will jump on the BTI. For the sake of discussion, if DoD said "tanks and APCs are obsolete, we're going with drones from now on", then that's the way it is and that's what the MIC would start building. If that reduces their income then so be it. The same thing happened when the Cold War ended.

[@davidanalyst671]

its not. We don't have any USA drone manufacturers making quads for less than 100 dollars.

[@TheMikemontreal]

I remember working for one large oem and telling them like 10 years ago to develop low cost drones with enough C4 to bust a tank. They all looked at me like I was an idiot ! Now look what is happening

[@DFEUERMAN]

You likely lost them at "low cost"

[@puertoricankoolaid8330]

Cod design

[@Bob10009]

It makes a nice change to hear a US general talking sense and having a realistic grasp of the changing battlefield and what is to come.

[@vlhc4642]

There is no realistic grasp, realistic would require understanding that everything he mentioned are made in China, and US will have zero access to anything he mentioned in a war with China.

[@Jesse-Jackson]

Reminds me alot of the Admirals and Land-Generals of the day pre-WW2 saying that navy-launchrd aircraft and fast-moving armour would revolutionize the next war/battlespace. Which we saw en masse in ww2 prophetically. Drones are the first step in the next era of A.I. infused weapon systems. It's only going to get quicker smaller and more lethal in large swarms now.

[@douglasthompson2740]

Except he is two decades late in his limited grasp. War games and war colleges don't seem to have anything but hindsight! Too spoiled living the high life to deserve it.

[@James-ke5sx]

Ukraine is changing the battlefield.

[@Barnavit]

So meta...

[@jeffGordon852]

How?

[@edmond8603]

​@@jeffGordon852 Stop sleeping

[@jeffGordon852]

@@edmond8603 Keep dreaming

[@cugamer8862]

More like it's serving as a laboratory of what works and doesn't work on the modern battlefield, it's accelerating the evolution of modern warfare.

[@petero9584]

Ukraine has shown every country in the world that you don’t have to be a super power to stand up to a super power

[@TheKakan1337]

But they are not fighting USA, and I guess you could argue not China either. Or are you speaking about the fighting Nepalese?

[@Habib_Osman]

But without the US support, Ukraine falls within a week. So, Ukraine proves that without the support of a superpower, any nation fighting against a superpower will pretty much immediately collapse.

[@IDontBuyIt50]

@@Habib_Osman so everyone in the thread proves why history is important. nobody that knows history at all needs this lesson, its already been proven multiple times. are you telling me vietnam didn't prove it? Afghanistan didn't prove it twice?

[@Habib_Osman]

@@IDontBuyIt50 The difference between Afghanistan and Vietnam compared to the current Ukrainian war is that the US didn't plan to conquer either Viet and Afgh, they merely tried to suppress uprisings. And yes, when suppressing uprisings guerilla tactics become very effective. In order to establish order, every square inch of territory needs to be scrubbed of hostiles. This can often only be achieved by destroying pretty much everything like Russia does to Ukraine currently, or for example Israel is currently doing in gaza.

[@Habib_Osman]

@@IDontBuyIt50 So.. nothing new to see here. All standard stuff.

[@sferris33]

Good! If the U.S. military does not change, then we will be in the same boat as Russia!

[@kiwihame]

Gotta love those amazing Ukrainians! Slava Ukraini! 🇳🇿 💙💛🇺🇦

[@courtneyturner5083]

So, the US defense industry is thinking how can I charge a $ 10 million for a $40 FPV drone. Lots of lessons to learn here!

[@TS-bj8my]

I have confidence in the US military industrial complex, 10 mil is a LOW bar.

[@vlhc4642]

To be specific, US military pays $60,000 for a single switchblade FPV drone with a smaller warhead than a $40 FPV drone, and they ran out of inventory within a week.

[@borghorsa1902]

The, the games are over, Ruzzia's Putler is a real threat to all of Europe and possibly North America. Price games are in the pest

[@courtneyturner5083]

@@vlhc4642 crazy!! not confident any changes will be made in the near term. The exquisite solution always ensures max profits vs. the simple solution..

[@brendonhunt668]

40$ for the esc yes but fpv costs more like 200$

[@guitarninjarick8179]

Have only heard a little about the cellphone drone detection network up until now. Really innovative work!!

[@noelamadi2618]

Ain't that similar air and chip recognition

[@deepashtray5605]

Imagine what the world would be like if all this innovation energy actually went into something positive.

[@Habib_Osman]

Nothing new has been invented. New strategies are definitely being developed in war, that's for sure.

[@maritimezhang]

It’s been used in the filming industry. You no longer need a helicopter to shoot an ad. People use it for photography. Scientists use it for measurements. The list goes on and on. You are only seeing the bad and refusing to see the good. So STFU

[@Peter-jo6yu]

Won't happen fully when psychos like Putin are in power

[@nolansperling3743]

That is called capitalism my friend

[@deepashtray5605]

@@nolansperling3743 War is only profitable to the arms manufacturers and dealers.

[@vickysawaan2156]

They are just very amazing people

[@finn3408]

God bless the people of Ukraine.

[@mrDredd1966]

The Australian military has developed a cheap cardboard drone!! They are now exporting them to Ukraine!!

[@Mortthemoose]

Australia have already been delivering them to Ukraine. 👍

[@jocknarn3225]

Cheap, lethal force multipliers we can readily deploy (from whatever platform u choose) .. in swarms .. not these expensive "loyal wingmen" the enemy will hack. Our military needs 2 b much more lethal 4 its ltd manpower & budgeting (dont get me started on nuke subs). We must b able 2 readily deploy (more) assets without fear of "scratching the paint". With cheap (cardboard) drones, suddenly everything's more defensible. We need a more lethal military sooner with as much built here (sovereign capability), more easily forging regional relationships with conventionally powered assets & insulating ourselves from vagaries of US domestic politics.

[@bounceofffast]

need to be "locally" sourced cheap weapons . Please know that imported weapons are most likely not available when you need them during ongoing battles.

[@adiadi5832]

another game changer u say?

[@jamarplunkett3283]

@@jocknarn3225 I understand where you’re coming from, but the doctrine of the “Loyal wingman” is different from the UCAV’s being used in the Ukraine war right now. They are seen as a force multiplier for much bigger jets. And you have to take into account that allot of these UCAV’s seen in this video could only dream about taking out an aircraft flying in the air. The loyal wingmen’s are set to be in the attributable range meaning you don’t want to lose it but if you do it won’t break the bank. Also, you and many others are mistaken to believe that the time of big expensive equipment is behind us. When in reality there will always be a need for big warship, tanks, planes, artillery, helicopters, etc. The only difference is to increase your cheap capabilities to further enhance your expensive one. It’s about “Balance” and proof of this is what our adversary are doing. China and Russia still have expensive equipment like tanks, warships, planes, etc. and they still will for the foreseeable future, the only difference is they are also increasing their cheap capabilities to greatly enhance their existing forces. And one use case that I can see the loyal wingmen having is in defeating air defense’s. Imagine that you have an F-35 and 3-5 loyal wingmen, you use one as bait while the others wait and see where the missiles are being fired from. Once they have a lock you could use HARM missiles to find and destroy the missiles battery’s and radar. You just destroyed a 500 million dollar air defense system for the cost of an 5-10 million dollar aircraft and a few harm missiles at 200,000-800,000 a pop. 15-20 million sounds like a lot, but not if you take it with context. And I’m pretty sure that this general would be okay with spending 20 million dollars to take out a 500 million dollar air defense systems, because that’s a great cost curve to have.

[@arthursosajr.2031]

necessity is the mother of invention

[@Habib_Osman]

You mean using drones? That's just a new battlefield strategy, nothing new has been invented.

[@shortrandomusername]

​@@Habib_Osmanright, what's new in the world? It is all good forgotten old for the past three thousand years))

[@markbrisec3972]

Wars were always the perfect catalysts for inventions and weapons advance, with the Manhattan Project being the most famous example... If the next big one, that is certanly coming, between the West and China/Russia, doesn't end the world as we know it, I bet you a million that the inventions that will come out of that war will change and improve our civilization like we haven't seen in a century.. New ways of communicating, new materials, etc.... P.S. I'm sure that our allies from Ukraine are sharing all they've found out during the last 2 years with us... We're learning as much as we're teaching them..

[@Habib_Osman]

What has been invented in the Ukrainian war?

[@shortrandomusername]

​@@Habib_Osmandrones used for everything from targeting artillery, to using FPVs to target tanks and personal carriers, to going after the Russian Black Sea fleet. How many tanks had been destroyed using drones until the war in Ukraine? Exactly!

[@rubiconklbrutorowman7577]

It all comes down to money! SO VERY glad that Gen. James Hecker spoke out what Defense industries do NOT wan to here obtaining hundreds millions of and even billions of dollars!

[@331SVTCobra]

You don't understand what he was saying. He's saying that the $2B DDG needs a new anti-drone weapon with a lower cost/destroyed-drone.... this is in addition to the SPY-D radar and 96 long range missiles for attacking supersonic aircraft, other ships, and land targets.

[@litoaykiu]

It doesn't take a super genius to figure out that shotting down 1,000-dollar drone with million-dollar missile is not good for budget. It's a thousand-fold price difference!

[@yeejhuamswb5207]

If American made a drone like the one Ukraine used, it will cost around $1,000,000 each

[@Eshrakgaming934]

But it will destroy 20 times more valuable targets than it is destroying now.

[@no_nameno_name5442]

​​Like 4 rv toyota in middle east​@@Eshrakgaming934

[@deriznohappehquite]

That’s called a Tomahawk missile.

[@vlhc4642]

The drone Ukraine uses are entirely made in China, and American officials seem to either be not aware of that or live under the delusion that China will supply US with cheap weapons to use against China.

[@hifinsword]

And it will be ready in 10 years, after it has been tested and hardened and met all compliance regs.

[@Sajin688]

That is actually super smart!! Hell yeah thinkers alike regardless of nationality!! Super cheap, super scalable which is important militarily, and its super effective. 🇺🇸

[@chichicjw]

Brains over braun. This General talks sense and if Nato released some of that Russian Oligarchs cash they seized, this should go a long way to helping Ukrainian defend itself and step up the fight on Russia"s own doorstep.

[@derekatkins4800]

To those making sarcastic comments about the US trying to create million-dollar drones: General Hecker was talking about the US military using far cheaper weapons. If we get into a shooting war with China, we are going to be using missiles and other munitions at a fearsome rate and quite possibly depleting our munition stockpiles very quickly. This is why Mr. Hecker said the US needs to start using cheaper munitions. This is also why he talked about using directed energy weapons (i.e., lasers) to defend against incoming drones.

[@Africawildlifehistorymission]

Sending peace & love to the world ❤❤❤🐘

[@KGSpradleyAuthor]

I guess nobody in senior leadership positions knows we dealt with this in Mosul in 2016/2017?

[@fitzerg]

How?

[@thisnameisnotfake517]

lmao comparing ISIS to potential swarm users like china or russia is hilarious.

[@PearlTheFrenchie]

Some great information and insight in this video Brilliant

[@user-sx9dj4oi7t]

Unfortunately you shouldn’t be advertising this to the public as per usual! Your enemies are always watching & listening & adjusting 🤦

[@edwinbarnett9032]

The Ukrainian people are alot smarter than Putin ever thought

[@paulphotios3920]

No they are actually genetically the same. Up until 30 years ago the went to the same schools. Both sides are as smart as the other. Some leaders through survival are better than others.

[@edwinbarnett9032]

Yes I know that Ukrainians have family in Russia and visa versa.Also their languages are very similar

[@_vital_p]

@@paulphotios3920 Genetically all the people are more or less the same) But there are a lot of differences in mentality between Ukrainians and Russians - Ukrainians are individualists, they love freedom (and anarchy), while Russians are collectivists and they obey to state power without any questions. Maybe it is the reason why in many Russo-Ukrainian wars Ukrainians have won more battles, but lost more wars. Ukrainians are strong in tactics, but Russians - in strategy. There is an another interesting difference - the role of women, the Ukrainian woman historically were always considered as equals, while the Russian women historically were treated a little better than cattle, if she was lucky. The languages are similar, like all Slavonic languages, although linguistically less similar than Spanish and Portuguese.

[@michaelfaraday8391]

😂😂😂😂

[@victoriauk6143]

​​@@edwinbarnett9032 as similar as French and German, comrade. And I don't have relatives in ruZZia. 100% Ukrainian from Kyiv. Stop this cheap KGBist propaganda. Most of the ruZZians living in Ukraine are descendants of those sent to houses of the murdered by artificially created hunger Ukrainians. Millions of ruZZians were sent to replace millions of dead Ukrainians who's bodies often were still in the houses. Comrade.

[@user-jt1gm4qh4x]

Amazing.

[@RustyB5000]

here's an idea. combine artillery and FPV. use an artillery round to launch an FPV close to the target, then deploy wings or copters to manually guide it to the target.

[@dejandimoski4605]

I believe those are the well known TV/Video-Guided missiles . Been around since at least the '80s or early '90s. As with any FPV or otherwise signal guided ,including GPS , they're very succeptible to REW (radio electronic warfare, jamming)

[@trustnet-app]

@@dejandimoski4605 REW can be detected and fired upon with anti-radiation missiles. The same can be said though for the controller's nests. I don't know why russians don't home in the radio signal that controls the drones...

[@literallynull]

It literally is what Ukrainians are already doing

[@thekinginyellow1744]

Have that already, it's called GLSDB. only difference is terminal guidance is laser as opposed to visual

[@JaM-R2TR4]

would be too expensive, because "UAV" would need to survive stress of being fired through the gun, would be too small, because it would be limited by the barrel of the gun.. UAV doesnt have to be launched like that... you can have "mothership" UAV that carries small FPV UAV on it, fly into area, and deploy these, while boosting their signal... BTW, thats already happening today in Ukraine...

[@richarddecker9515]

Amazing how much can be learned on the battlefield

[@bobbydigital49]

Love this guy very smart

[@ChristopherBosch-ff1dt]

Real Quick. Damn Great Training off The Bat 😊

[@viewer3412]

These drones are game changers. Mix in A.I. and global economy will not survive swarms of drones terrorizing everyone. It will only be around 4 years out into the future for this to occur. Significant change underway.

[@qefewfwdcwdc]

LOL IN 2:45 THE dude told you how ot handle cheap drones with cheap ammunition. another braindead viewer who jumps to conclusions to quickly

[@grahamfloyd3451]

Your thinking lacks creativity; it's very reductionist.

[@korzym]

Sorry - DARPA,Skunkworks,++ are still around and they’ll develop defences against drones. Whether it’s lasers, electronic warfare, something else - they will close the gap

[@freezedeve3119]

@@korzym there is already system you can buy to counter these drones, just that you do not see those used in Ukraine does not mean those do not exist

[@korzym]

@@freezedeve3119 lots of prototypes, we’ll see which ones will get mass produced

[@josephrubalema1193]

And now the bubble bursts for the defence companies. It was fun when it lasted. Backyard rooms can produce and deliver game changing arsenal

[@Thespiansewist]

“”on the right side of the cost curve”

[@bobwoods1302]

$700,000 is on the right side as well for the commercial sailors who made it home to their families safe.

[@deriznohappehquite]

@@bobwoods1302 if it were a laser beam, they’d still be safe, and it would cost $20 instead of $700,000

[@bobwoods1302]

And if my aunt had b@lls she would be my uncle.@@deriznohappehquite

[@crypnosis9871]

When full scale war breaks out, you can't think like that. War is economics.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

​@@bobwoods1302Or we could just leave the Red Sea.

[@richarddecker9515]

Necessary is the mother of invention

[@sirwm3107]

That would be Necessity… 🤭

[@AlteredState1123]

“Necessity”

[@user-im7sj7gr2v]

👉Cartón de cartón de cajas de cartón👈 🤣👀👀

[@stefanmaas3026]

Very valuable, thank you very much. 👍🍀🥇

[@alfredoberiajr9011]

Wowbgood work best advance technolgy in the world of war very easy i idea❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊 good job ❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@Toughcrwd_14]

Wow creativity pays off

[@1964mcqueen]

It is great to see how Ukraine is using drones, in the air and on water, to take the fight to a much larger enemy. It is also scary to think how bad actors will learn from their success.

[@rebeccadubois8270]

Bad actors taught russia and ukraine these tactics many many years ago already.

[@nekko5778]

1. russia uses 7x more fpv and drone dropping drones then ukriane (as by ukrainian claims) 2. ukraine outnumbers russia at the very least 2 or 3 to 1 unless they have been taking comletly insane casualties do actual research instead of watching propaganda or dont talk and ignore the conflict since u r obv not ready to invest any time into learning about it

[@pooferfish2850]

Imagine if Ukraine had a fleet of modern planes

[@alberthenriette8976]

They all will be down in a few weeks 😂..

[@MSM5500]

@@alberthenriette8976 _"all will be down"_ How would you down all the modern planes if you haven't down the old ones yet????

[@deriznohappehquite]

@@alberthenriette8976 Ukraine is still flying old POS. unmodernized Su-27, MiG-29, and Su-25 are their most modern aircraft.

[@KevinP32270]

EPIC!

[@tomhermens7698]

How right !!!!!❤

[@tomeemerson]

Interesting to hear about these tactics today. We speculated of use of swarms 15 to 20 years ago, seemed an obvious use of technology.

[@LMB237]

Brilliant news innovation by need!

[@Habib_Osman]

The people hear what they want to hear.

[@shortrandomusername]

​@@Habib_Osmannice try, comrade))

[@TheSujanroy]

Nice to see a Cambridge CXA61 in the background. Like a dude who knows his amps 😊

[@fasx56]

The US Military is learning invaluable information from the Ukraine War and the Russian Military weapons and capabilities. The Drones that Ukraine has developed and modified to carry explosives has been remarkable.

[@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1nc]

Didn’t learn anything from Vietnam.

[@Neo.101]

Absolutely genius

[@francisdavey2386]

Very interesting indeed

[@nirmaanaggarwal]

We have stay on the right side of cost curve while having a technical and safety overmatch. Gotta innovate, innovate and innovate.

[@sshumkaer]

Pretty creative reminds me of America's Elephant lines

[@rexcandy]

Thank you Ukraine we need to spend money wisely as we defend ourselves across the world Ukraine is awesome

[@maxidaho]

The drone program in Ukraine is working. Why aren't we sending 10,000 drones to Ukraine? Calculate how many drones $10,000,000 could buy.

[@thirtythreeeyes8624]

Not including goggles and radio a 7" that seems most common can be under $200 using the cheapest parts available a bigger one is like $250. So 40,000 not counting the discount for quantity, of course someone has to build them though and that's about 1-2 hours depending how much experience the builder has. Then goggles are between $200-600 depending on type or a screen can be under $100 controller between $60-200. The trouble is they need to adapt constantly but, with support of U.S. defense industry they have much better RF gear to go in them than the hobby grade stuff they use now of course this would bring price up but, 10,000 much more advanced drones for $10,000,000 should be possible but, the margins would be basically non existent and they'd require a lot of Chinese parts so good luck getting the military industrial complex to help.

[@giacomu1]

Russian are doing the same thing on the other side. The drone game is 50/50.

[@the_rzh]

Ukraine produces most of their kamikaze drones locally. They plan on manufacturing between one and two million of them in 2024. Bottleneck is chinese made motors, batteries, cameras, and electronics that have to be procured. There is no western manufacturer of small electric motors for example.

[@ilyakrivorotov2491]

Because drones are made in China

[@coryhoggatt7691]

Ukraine is losing 10,000 drones a month. Another 10,000 would be a drop in the bucket.

[@hifinsword]

Putin's WAR in Ukraine has redefined the battlefield! When the military I was a part of, came under threat from slow-moving aircraft, we started using 50 Cal guns and optical sights. The threat has gotten smaller and more numerous. Detection and fire-control is the critical thing to take that threat out. Such systems are already out there to use, but not necessarily U.S. made. To counter massive swarms the weapon must be automated and robust, and hopefully low-cost. You will need lots of inexpensive shots, be they physical or electronic. Lazers, electro-magnetic guns and computer-directed countering swarms of UAVs all meet those criteria. They can be relatively cheap.

[@conradnelson5283]

Gotta up our game

[@Luigi13]

Real necessity and determination is the mother of all inventions. The US has infinite ways to do what it takes a thousant times cheaper and effective. The US could produce fast drones that could definitely serve Ukraine well too or by supplying the parts that Ukraine needs to enhance their drones further.

[@olivere5497]

These drones must require signalmen to set up an antena for the operator, is that correct?

[@samwilliams1142]

What about anti-aircraft defending ships?

[@jawz101_fpv7]

At 4:30 he says a UAV costs $10,000. The hobby-grade FPV multirotors being used cost about $300. These military types need to go out, buy the parts and build one that is depicted in these videos to know what they're talking about. It's worrisome that military officials think things cost 33 times over MSRP... except that they are truly that bad with money.

[@jawz101_fpv7]

I went to the guy's Facebook page - which is weird that he has a Facebook page. The guy looks like a really slow thinker.

[@robertharker]

A hidden gotcha is that most of the parts for these low cost drones come from China. China could decide to ban export of drone parts. Where would Ukraine or the US be then?

[@crypnosis9871]

Yes this has been worrying me also. I'm hoping non China aligned countries are taking notice and starting to make cheap motors in India, and other eastern European countries. I really don't think the West can compete with China on cost.

[@WanderingCanadian1]

It's not like these drones are that difficult to produce... there's videos of volunteers inside Ukraine 3D printing these things.

[@davidmackie3497]

@@WanderingCanadian1 Electric motors require rare earths from China.

[@terrencepayne1371]

what a great video

[@tmactable]

Make no mistake; US defense contractors will be able to provide a $10,000 drone for $150k.

[@shortrandomusername]

If they can sell it...

[@shortrandomusername]

If they can sell it... Until recently, the US military would not buy from SpaceX, but now they do

[@runem5429]

Zerging is always what wins in hard fought conflicts, the exquisite is for low intensity and special missions, not for the broad front usage.

[@clarocarta8674]

Make sense 👌

[@mattharvey8712]

Bravo........not to mention the hypro sonic rocket stuff.........New war tatacis.......

[@chadgrubbs2642]

That’s amazing how they did the cell phones

[@evinoshima9923]

Darpa should fund an incubator in Ukraine as well as production tech.

[@shoot-n-scoot3539]

Excellent video. Will subscribe.

[@gordonallen9095]

"Necessity is the mother of invention." PLATO

[@Steve1734]

Reports coming in from combat areas by ex Ukraine Foreign Legion mercenaries state that the closest they ever got to Russian troops was 2 kms. Many never fired their assault rifles, but all became skilled at defending against cluster mortar attacks without the luxury of close air or artillery support. The guy who dug a trench faster and deeper was the guy who survived. In the Legion there was a French soldier, nearly 50, who is a legend called The Digger, because thats what he was good at. But many western soldiers would resent having to do that. They were the ones who died. This is not a boots on the ground war as Russia has discovered. They are too vulnerable. It's all about target acquisition and elimination with long range artillery and drones attacking $4m Russian tanks and rocket launchers, HQs and logistics hubs. You now don't need a $150k Javelin missile system, but a $5k drone carrying 2kg of plastic explosive embedded with phosphorous pellets to take out a tank. No passive or reactive armour is effective because the operator can target a tanks hatches with an accuracy of one square foot. But moribund military commanders from the US and other Nato countries are still caught up in the old doctrine, when right next door a lesson is being taught by Ukraine, not the other way around.

[@antasosam8486]

And how good you are in that "old doctrine"? Does mortar, long range artillery or air are obsolete?

[@gary_beniford]

I think its still very much a boots on the ground affair. Infantry still have to do the dirty work to hold and occupy positions. We've seen pitched battles overs forests, cities, trench networks.

[@vlhc4642]

@@antasosam8486Air isn't obsolete, but its hard to make a cope video about Russia raining FABs

[@litoaykiu]

You can't hide from a drone or dig yourself in from the drop. Trenches are excellent against mortars and hand-grenades but don't save you from drones.

[@massimookissed1023]

Pentagon: million$ in research, $150,000-a-pop drone launcher. Ukraine: beer crate with bottom cut out.

[@USVIsteve]

Yeah, we better learn how to deal with those things right quick

[@shakostarsun]

I'd say to use ground based remote drones like small cars with bombs too would be epic, air drones make too much noise and there's a lot of anti air stuff for air drones. Ground based I think would wreck infantry and tanks.

[@shortrandomusername]

Ukraine also uses those against fortifications as well as sea drones to attack the Russian fleet in Black Sea

[@jhernandez3107]

Meanwhile the terrible Mexican Cartels taking Notes to update their arsenal

[@xinglinjiang4952]

i like the cell phone idea

[@jameshodgetts5594]

Well done ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@maria_D111]

Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦

[@promeuscharles3464]

Get the Ukrainians to help

[@gwine9087]

The US approach has always been "Why use a $10,000 item when you can buy a $million item that does the same thing?".

[@carlosmelick7075]

Quick, give this general a promotion! Maybe he can teach the rest of the DOD.

[@Costaricanexplorepuravida]

Smart man

[@Autilorizzgoneee]

He is right, what the Houthis and the Ukrainians did with FPV drones is nothing compared to what China would do with it.....This is going to be a game changer in wartime.

[@johnpacella9519]

Great vid. Very informative.

[@aidan9563]

Even in death and destruction, everything is about the 💰💰

[@MamaJanella]

I'm really worried about the amount and type of information technology you are disclosing.

[@arzoo_singh]

US still has best drone system but its not cheap this is what they would focus . Drone Swarm AI based self guided mobitoring ,analysing and attacking system .

[@philchristmas4071]

It's so frustrating watching our higher-ups, defense companies and generals over think this. We figured this out in WWII with kamikaze pilots. A battle ship had close to 200 large AA guns that could knock down huge numbers of aircraft that could take much more abuse than a drone. AA guns with modern radar and sensors will immediately end the drone problem. Bring out the bofors, vulcan cannons and airburst rounds.

[@wayneloht]

Thank you Wall Street Journal

[@Vanillasky2006]

Lol why u cut out the words “from China” at 4:20

[@RobertWagner-ip6hf]

Well darn, we spend more than the next five militaries and have to learn this second hand from Ukraine. Maybe we should put Ukraine in charge of our military.

[@georgekraus9357]

The military industrial complex will not come up with "inexpensive" drones for DOD.

[@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1nc]

Million bucks each I bet. Half million shareholder profit.

[@litoaykiu]

You think DOD doesn't buy bullets or guns or rifles? Folks in Ivory House would be stamping drones by the millions.

[@johnmartin6420]

Mig41 is pure vaporware! Russia has been trying to deploy the SU57 for 24 yrs, and is just deploying limited operational status with 38 aircraft deployed each at a cost of $50-60 million each. So $25 million for the Mig41 is laughable.

[@EtugeAndrew]

It is good.thinkkng.

[@some______guy]

That's a razorsharp analysis

[@peterblok3496]

The US learned, very important, lessons in Ukraine. " Its not only important winning a war but it must be efficient and effective too". I hoped preventing a war is the most important lesson for civilization after thousands years of battling.

[@_vital_p]

This war could have easily prevented, if the world, especially Western world, have reacted to the Russian attack on Georgia in 2008 and on Russia starting the war in Ukraine in 2014. But the West chose to close it`s eyes and to go on with business as usual.

[@bertkoerts3991]

I wonder how many soldiers are busy handling drones. Seems people intensive, but I guess they have become really efficient by now! 👍😊 This technology will have big impact, and competitive arena. For IT savvy people, swarms are not going to be difficult. Imagine a 5 million $ swarm, that is 10000 drones… Endless possibilities for the attacker, immensely difficult to defend against…

[@samuelculper4231]

And this is exactly why Putin replaced Sergei Shoigu with Andrey Belousov

[@dawudcox7834]

These FPV drones that shown hitting a target on impact are not qas successful as the media think. It look good. In reality most of the targets are not destroyed. The drones can't hold the weapons powerful enough to destroy the target.

[@Habib_Osman]

Yes. One of the very few people that do not follow the hype. Impressive!

[@shortrandomusername]

They are armed with RPGs, which can do a lot of damage, depending on where you hit. Also, on the modern battlefield, once the target is immobilized it is as good as dead. Even if you have to spend multiple FPVs per target, they are so cheap, it is worth it. Finally, how will you recover the vehicle? One of the most common strategies used in the war is to wait for the recovery crew, then hit the crew

[@proxyghost3225]

If you played ghost recon breakpoint you would have learned all of this like an elite tactician

[@dutchflats]

Yeah, but Raytheon, Lockheed - Martin, and Boeing can't make big bucks ($) producing stuff like a oneway quad-copter UAV?

[@wnose]

No, but some smaller company can. Capitalism baby!

[@giacomu1]

Smaller co. don't get a single $ from Pentagon without lobby and bribes. This is not Capitalism.

[@StealthHalcon9]

Yup like the road runner drone intercepter we have. Smaller company made. Same with our sea drones. Smaller companies but that’s what’s great about capitalism

[@Bob10009]

The big buck items will always be there too. Now smaller companies can take a share of this new low cost pie.

[@TheFloorface]

just because an item is cheap doesnt mean you cant make a lot of money selling it. you never heard of economy of scale? it works for making money the same as it does for saving it.

[@Sprot66]

It's the new war space. Cheap drones make expensive armor a moot point. And any nation could adopt this strategy to blunt a better equipped adversary.

[@latymz]

Everyone that invades quickly finds out necessity breeds innovation.