US base defense in the era of large-scale drone attacks
Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web wasn't just a brazen attack on Russia; it was a wake-up call for the United States.
On June 1st, the Security Service of Ukraine (or SBU) carried out their mission, targeting four Russian airbases housing strategic bombers like the Tu-95 and Tu-22. Using small quadcopter drones that were assembled inside Russia and placed in modified roof compartments of shipping containers, they managed to eliminate at least 13 Russian aircraft, including several nuclear-capable bombers, and damage many others. This amounts to about 34% of their strategic bomber fleet destroyed in an incredibly short amount of time, an insurmountable loss.
Ukraine didn't use any advanced technology or weapons. The drones used were small and built with commercially available parts. They were piloted, at least initially, by Ardupilot, an open-source software used by drone hobbyists to navigate drones autonomously. Using Russia's own 4G cellular networks, drone pilots, safe in Ukraine, flew the quadcopters the last meters to their targets. According to Ukrainian officials, everybody involved in the operation was safely out of Russia by the time it took place.
The success of the operation and its relative simplicity have brought to the forefront concerns over how the United States would defend itself against a similar attack. While U.S. bases overseas have weapons capable of defending, at least partially, from small drones, many in the homeland do not.
In our latest video, we break down how Ukraine pulled off Spider's Web, what that means for the United States, and what military leaders are doing to prepare for similar attacks.
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