Latest news with #warfare
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Brutality over precision' — What the Army is learning from Russia in Ukraine
Russian forces in Ukraine are learning that tactics based on 'brutality' and quantity over quality can improve their fortunes, according to a 170-page report put out by the U.S. Army this month. Published last week, 'How Russia Fights' lays out a series of hard lessons the U.S. troops are learning from Russia as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine steams towards its fourth year. 'The Russians have already reverted to Soviet form on the battlefield, favoring mass over maneuver, quantity over quality, capacity over capability, brutality over precision, and mobilization over readiness,' the report says. Produced by the Army's Foreign Military Studies Office at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, it's a rare look at how one part of the U.S. military is studying this war and what lessons can be taken from it. Based on events between Feb. 24, 2022, and June 30, 2024, it shows how Russia, despite sanctions, isolation, and battlefield losses, is rapidly adapting and refining a model of warfare that leverages mass, improvisation, and emerging technologies to sustain operations far longer than many expected. Drones are foundational One of the strongest themes in the report is how drones have become central to nearly every part of the Russian way of war. Quadcopter drones, often rigged with improvised explosives or thermobaric payloads, are used at every level of the Russian military. These systems are produced at scale, often through informal networks, and treated as expendable munitions. Russia is reportedly going through tens of thousands of drones per month, according to analysts and open-source tracking. Drones are now directly tied into command and fire support. Fixed-wing systems like the Orlan-10 conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, or ISR. Targets are passed to artillery batteries or FPV drone teams that engage the target. Another drone confirms damage. In many cases, drones have replaced manned forward observers entirely. In contrast, Army units below the battalion level often don't have their own drones, though efforts to fix that are underway. Electronic warfare shapes the battlefield Russia's use of electronic warfare, EW, is another area the report highlights as both mature and deeply integrated. Russian battalions independently operate systems like the Borisoglebsk-2 and Leer-3, which jam Ukrainian communications and GPS navigation, spoof drone signals, and expose the location of emitters. More than just a support capability, EW is used to shape the battlefield before major attacks. Western-supplied guided munitions like JDAM-ERs and Excalibur rounds have reportedly been degraded in areas with dense Russian jamming. And not all of these capabilities are coming from high-end gear: commercial jammers purchased online, some as cheap as $20, are also being deployed. Russian units are adapting The Army's assessment of Russian troop quality is nuanced. Some formations, like Spetsnaz or VDV units, retain a professional core. Others, especially mobilized conscripts and penal battalions, struggle with morale and coordination. But even in lower-tier units, cohesion and tactical learning are improving. Officers are creating makeshift leadership structures. Training pipelines are becoming more efficient. And units that survive long enough are adapting to the demands of trench warfare and drone-saturated environments. It's not a well-oiled machine by any interpretation, but the soldiers and leaders are adapting and learning quickly how to survive. Artillery is doing the heavy lifting Russia has shifted decisively to an artillery-first doctrine, creating formations known as 'army artillery groups.' These units integrate with drone ISR to deliver massed fires against static defenses and troop concentrations. Within the U.S. military, the Army has traditionally emphasized maneuver warfare — mobility, initiative, speed. But as the report shows, Russia is winning ground slowly and methodically, with drones feeding targets to artillery in a sustained kill chain. Top Stories This Week Culture Top Air Force enlisted leader apologizes for uniform slip-up Top Air Force enlisted leader apologizes for uniform slip-up By Jeff Schogol Culture An Army pilot and mechanic switched units for a week. Here's how that went. An Army pilot and mechanic switched units for a week. Here's how that went. By Patty Nieberg News Air Force Global Strike Command suspends use of M18 pistol after airman's death Air Force Global Strike Command suspends use of M18 pistol after airman's death By Jeff Schogol A whole-state effort A major theme scattered throughout the report is how this is a war that is being fought through all levels of society. Ministries, civilian industries, universities, and city governments have all been pulled into the effort. A bread factory in Tambov, Russia, for example, has been retooled to manufacture FPV drones. Local officials help fulfill recruitment quotas and raise money to buy gear for troops. Vans originally designed for public service have been converted into field ambulances. Regional governments are given quotes for 'kontraktnik,' volunteer enlisted soldiers. This blurring between civilian and military lines isn't an accident — it's part of how Russia sustains its war effort. This crowd-sourced approach isn't unique to Russia, with Ukraine employing similar practices, particularly fundraising for gear and equipment, but it does illustrate how large the effort has become to sustain this 'special military operation.' What is the U.S. doing about it? The Army is already making changes. In 2024, it began incorporating drone awareness and concealment techniques into enlisted training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Soldiers now train to reduce their visibility to overhead ISR — a direct lesson from the Ukrainian trenches. Modernization programs like Project Linchpin and TITAN are also underway, aiming to speed up targeting decisions and better integrate sensor data across domains. The Pentagon's July 10 memo, 'Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,' opens up the branches to more rapidly acquire, field, and train with small drones by treating them like munitions instead of like an aircraft. To break down the full report — and what it means for the future of U.S. ground warfare — we've got a deep-dive video up now on the Task & Purpose YouTube channel. It covers everything from drone saturation and GPS jamming to Russia's artillery doctrine and how the Army is rethinking its own training and modernization in response. You can watch it here. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Iran's plan to abandon GPS is about much more than technology
For the past few years, governments across the world have paid close attention to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. There, it is said, we see the first glimpses of what warfare of the future will look like, not just in terms of weaponry, but also in terms of new technologies and tactics. Most recently, the United States-Israeli attacks on Iran demonstrated not just new strategies of drone deployment and infiltration but also new vulnerabilities. During the 12-day conflict, Iran and vessels in the waters of the Gulf experienced repeated disruptions of GPS signal. This clearly worried the Iranian authorities who, after the end of the war, began to look for alternatives. 'At times, disruptions are created on this [GPS] system by internal systems, and this very issue has pushed us toward alternative options like BeiDou,' Ehsan Chitsaz, deputy communications minister, told Iranian media in mid-July. He added that the government was developing a plan to switch transportation, agriculture and the internet from GPS to BeiDou. Iran's decision to explore adopting China's navigation satellite system may appear at first glance to be merely a tactical manoeuvre. Yet, its implications are far more profound. This move is yet another indication of a major global realignment. For decades, the West, and the US in particular, have dominated the world's technological infrastructure from computer operating systems and the internet to telecommunications and satellite networks. This has left much of the world dependent on an infrastructure it cannot match or challenge. This dependency can easily become vulnerability. Since 2013, whistleblowers and media investigations have revealed how various Western technologies and schemes have enabled illicit surveillance and data gathering on a global scale – something that has worried governments around the world. Iran's possible shift to BeiDou sends a clear message to other nations grappling with the delicate balance between technological convenience and strategic self-defence: The era of blind, naive dependence on US-controlled infrastructure is rapidly coming to an end. Nations can no longer afford to have their military capabilities and vital digital sovereignty tied to the satellite grid of a superpower they cannot trust. This sentiment is one of the driving forces behind the creation of national or regional satellite navigation systems, from Europe's Galileo to Russia's GLONASS, each vying for a share of the global positioning market and offering a perceived guarantee of sovereign control. GPS was not the only vulnerability Iran encountered during the US-Israeli attacks. The Israeli army was able to assassinate a number of nuclear scientists and senior commanders in the Iranian security and military forces. The fact that Israel was able to obtain their exact locations raised fears that it was able to infiltrate telecommunications and trace people via their phones. On June 17 as the conflict was still raging, the Iranian authorities urged the Iranian people to stop using the messaging app WhatsApp and delete it from their phones, saying it was gathering user information to send to Israel. Whether this appeal was linked to the assassinations of the senior officials is unclear, but Iranian mistrust of the app run by US-based corporation Meta is not without merit. Cybersecurity experts have long been sceptical about the security of the app. Recently, media reports have revealed that the artificial intelligence software Israel uses to target Palestinians in Gaza is reportedly fed data from social media. Furthermore, shortly after the end of the attacks on Iran, the US House of Representatives moved to ban WhatsApp from official devices. For Iran and other countries around the world, the implications are clear: Western platforms can no longer be trusted as mere conduits for communication; they are now seen as tools in a broader digital intelligence war. Tehran has already been developing its own intranet system, the National Information Network, which gives more control over internet use to state authorities. Moving forward, Iran will likely expand this process and possibly try to emulate China's Great Firewall. By seeking to break with Western-dominated infrastructure, Tehran is definitively aligning itself with a growing sphere of influence that fundamentally challenges Western dominance. This partnership transcends simple transactional exchanges as China offers Iran tools essential for genuine digital and strategic independence. The broader context for this is China's colossal Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While often framed as an infrastructure and trade project, BRI has always been about much more than roads and ports. It is an ambitious blueprint for building an alternative global order. Iran – strategically positioned and a key energy supplier – is becoming an increasingly important partner in this expansive vision. What we are witnessing is the emergence of a new powerful tech bloc – one that inextricably unites digital infrastructure with a shared sense of political defiance. Countries weary of the West's double standards, unilateral sanctions and overwhelming digital hegemony will increasingly find both comfort and significant leverage in Beijing's expanding clout. This accelerating shift heralds the dawn of a new 'tech cold war', a low-temperature confrontation in which nations will increasingly choose their critical infrastructure, from navigation and communications to data flows and financial payment systems, not primarily based on technological superiority or comprehensive global coverage but increasingly on political allegiance and perceived security. As more and more countries follow suit, the Western technological advantage will begin to shrink in real time, resulting in redesigned international power dynamics. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The killer speedboats designed to defend Britain's coastline
Credit: Kraken Technology As they zoomed around the Baltic Sea last month, a pair of British drones provided a glimpse of how navies are adapting to a new age of warfare. The K3 Scout unmanned surface vessels (USVs), made by Kraken Technology, were deployed alongside other maritime robots as part of an exercise conducted by NATO's Task Force X. With a top speed of 55 knots, the autonomous boats can be sent on reconnaissance missions hundreds of miles away, dispatched laden with troops and cargo, or loaded up with explosives for kamikaze missions. They can also carry powerful sensors and fire tube-launched loitering munitions, known as suicide drones. In the future, dozens of these relatively low-cost devices – each about 27 feet long – could be unleashed to create a high-tech 'picket fence' around the British Isles. This would allow the Royal Navy to rapidly intercept smugglers, enemy ships or investigate suspicious activity without having to dispatch crewed vessels. 'Once you've detected an object of interest, either above or below the surface, you can shadow them for some time,' says Mark Exeter, Kraken's operations chief. 'It has the speed and performance to keep up with anything or intercept it. You can't shake us off.' The drones highlight the lessons Britain and its allies are learning from the war in Ukraine, where low-cost drones are being used to destroy far more expensive platforms. Yet it also represents a change in tack for Kraken's founder, who was still focused on high-performance powerboat racing as recently as five years ago. From powerboats to firepower Portsmouth-based entrepreneur Malcolm Crease decided to pivot towards defence during the pandemic, after getting several approaches from industry. Interest was originally spurred by the advent of low-earth satellites, which opened up the possibility of controlling drones remotely, but took on fresh urgency as operations in Ukraine demonstrated a need for speed in drone operations. In the Black Sea, Kyiv's forces have put swarms of explosive-laden USVs to devastating effect against the Russian navy, causing so much havoc that Moscow's fleet has effectively been confined to port. They have even been armed with missiles and used to shoot down aircraft, including a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and a Su-30 fighter jet, according to reports. But according to Crease, there is another, far more important reason that companies like Kraken are suddenly in vogue: 'The ability to rapidly iterate and think on our feet is our greatest strength. 'We didn't have to go through months and years of development. We were able to accelerate through that very rapidly – we think like a race team. 'When we started out there was confusion about our background – people would say, 'But you're the racing guys, what do you know about defence?' 'Now, four years down the track, it's a real credibility statement for us. People like that pedigree because they understand why we are able to do what we can do. 'When you start getting out into open water and high sea states and temperatures and wind chill factors and everything else, it's a very, very different, difficult environment to operate in. 'But it's sort of our backyard – it's what we used to do for fun in a racing context. So it's in our DNA.' Small and agile alternative His firm is just one of several British engineering companies turning their hands to defence as Western governments scramble to re-arm. In the UK, ministers have said they want more of these 'small, often family-owned, firms to bring their innovations, their agility and their expert workforce' to the fore, offering a nimbler alternative to the industry's slower-moving defence giants, such as BAE Systems, Babcock and Rolls-Royce. The Strategic Defence Review, published in June, also called for the development of 'dual use' technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, making the defence industry more resilient to supply chain shocks. And though small businesses are unlikely to build multibillion-pound fighter jets or submarines, there is currently an insatiable appetite for what is known in military jargon as 'mass'. These cheap weapons range from largely disposable first-person view drones to more sophisticated platforms such as Kraken's K3 Scout, which are considered 'attritable' rather than indispensable. Yet all tend to have one thing in common: they are easily produced at scale and fast. For example, while the European consortium that makes Typhoon fighter jets can currently muster 20 to 30 jets per year at a push, Kraken will soon expand its operations to make 1,000 Scout drones annually. The company has secured a contract with the Ministry of Defence and has also just secured backing from NATO's investment fund and an unnamed country in the alliance. Another business that has entered the military space is Oxfordshire-based MGI, which was founded by ex-Formula 1 engineer Mike Gascoyne in 2003. Originally, the company provided design consultancy services, but it has since expanded to manufacture unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles, as well as an ultra-cheap missile. This month, MGI demonstrated its SkyShark drone at its airfield near the village of Enstone. It can be sent on intelligence missions, loaded up with munitions or used for one-way kamikaze strikes, at a fraction of the price of a traditional cruise missile. Crucially, it also relies on an all-British supply chain, including gas turbine engines made by fellow Oxfordshire firm Argive or a silent, electric fan engine made by London-based Greejets. His company has also secured contracts with the Ministry of Defence, which he says he cannot discuss. 'Traditionally, defence projects take years to develop, but the essence of Formula 1 is you've got to develop rapidly and move really quickly,' adds Gascoyne. 'You make a new car every year, and every two weeks, somewhere around the world, you're racing a different version of it, constantly updating to stay in the game and remain competitive. 'Now, the military has realised what they need as well.' Start-up struggles Still, while the success enjoyed by the likes of MGI and Kraken so far is promising, many executives say there is still a long way to go to make the defence industry more welcoming to start-ups. It is still common for smaller companies to struggle to obtain bank accounts owing to controversial environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing rules. Many businesses also struggle to stay afloat while they wait months and often years for the Ministry of Defence to award contracts. This limbo period has been dubbed the 'valley of death' by the industry. 'British industrial creativity is second to none,' says Labour's Fred Thomas, a former Royal Marines commando who is now MP for Plymouth Moor View and a member of the defence committee. 'We have the best engineers, designers and thinkers in the world. 'Applying these advantages to defence innovation is vital for our country's security. It's on the Government to incorporate these capabilities into the national arsenal.' Ministers have vowed to improve the situation by requiring officials to award contracts far more quickly. They have also established the new UK Defence Innovation organisation, which has been given a ring-fenced budget of £400m per year and a mandate to seek out innovation. With luck, it should mean that more companies like Kraken can contribute to Britain's defences. 'We've done this in a slightly unconventional way, but we're now being taken very seriously,' Crease adds. 'We're anticipating explosive growth.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
The killer speedboats designed to defend Britain's coastline
As they zoomed around the Baltic Sea last month, a pair of British drones provided a glimpse of how navies are adapting to a new age of warfare. The K3 Scout unmanned surface vessels (USVs), made by Kraken Technology, were deployed alongside other maritime robots as part of an exercise conducted by NATO's Task Force X. With a top speed of 55 knots, the autonomous boats can be sent on reconnaissance missions hundreds of miles away, dispatched laden with troops and cargo, or loaded up with explosives for kamikaze missions. They can also carry powerful sensors and fire tube-launched loitering munitions, known as suicide drones. In the future, dozens of these relatively low-cost devices – each about 27 feet long – could be unleashed to create a high-tech 'picket fence' around the British Isles. This would allow the Royal Navy to rapidly intercept smugglers, enemy ships or investigate suspicious activity without having to dispatch crewed vessels. 'Once you've detected an object of interest, either above or below the surface, you can shadow them for some time,' says Mark Exeter, Kraken's operations chief. 'It has the speed and performance to keep up with anything or intercept it. You can't shake us off.' The drones highlight the lessons Britain and its allies are learning from the war in Ukraine, where low-cost drones are being used to destroy far more expensive platforms. Yet it also represents a change in tack for Kraken's founder, who was still focused on high-performance powerboat racing as recently as five years ago. From powerboats to firepower Portsmouth-based entrepreneur Malcolm Crease decided to pivot towards defence during the pandemic, after getting several approaches from industry. Interest was originally spurred by the advent of low-earth satellites, which opened up the possibility of controlling drones remotely, but took on fresh urgency as operations in Ukraine demonstrated a need for speed in drone operations. In the Black Sea, Kyiv's forces have put swarms of explosive-laden USVs to devastating effect against the Russian navy, causing so much havoc that Moscow's fleet has effectively been confined to port. They have even been armed with missiles and used to shoot down aircraft, including a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and a Su-30 fighter jet, according to reports. But according to Crease, there is another, far more important reason that companies like Kraken are suddenly in vogue: 'The ability to rapidly iterate and think on our feet is our greatest strength. 'We didn't have to go through months and years of development. We were able to accelerate through that very rapidly – we think like a race team. 'When we started out there was confusion about our background – people would say, 'But you're the racing guys, what do you know about defence?' 'Now, four years down the track, it's a real credibility statement for us. People like that pedigree because they understand why we are able to do what we can do. 'When you start getting out into open water and high sea states and temperatures and wind chill factors and everything else, it's a very, very different, difficult environment to operate in. 'But it's sort of our backyard – it's what we used to do for fun in a racing context. So it's in our DNA.' Small and agile alternative His firm is just one of several British engineering companies turning their hands to defence as Western governments scramble to re-arm. In the UK, ministers have said they want more of these 'small, often family-owned, firms to bring their innovations, their agility and their expert workforce' to the fore, offering a nimbler alternative to the industry's slower-moving defence giants, such as BAE Systems, Babcock and Rolls-Royce. The Strategic Defence Review, published in June, also called for the development of 'dual use' technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, making the defence industry more resilient to supply chain shocks. And though small businesses are unlikely to build multibillion-pound fighter jets or submarines, there is currently an insatiable appetite for what is known in military jargon as 'mass'. These cheap weapons range from largely disposable first-person view drones to more sophisticated platforms such as Kraken's K3 Scout, which are considered 'attritable' rather than indispensable. Yet all tend to have one thing in common: they are easily produced at scale and fast. For example, while the European consortium that makes Typhoon fighter jets can currently muster 20 to 30 jets per year at a push, Kraken will soon expand its operations to make 1,000 Scout drones annually. The company has secured a contract with the Ministry of Defence and has also just secured backing from NATO's investment fund and an unnamed country in the alliance. Another business that has entered the military space is Oxfordshire-based MGI, which was founded by ex-Formula 1 engineer Mike Gascoyne in 2003. Originally, the company provided design consultancy services, but it has since expanded to manufacture unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles, as well as an ultra-cheap missile. This month, MGI demonstrated its SkyShark drone at its airfield near the village of Enstone. It can be sent on intelligence missions, loaded up with munitions or used for one-way kamikaze strikes, at a fraction of the price of a traditional cruise missile. Crucially, it also relies on an all-British supply chain, including gas turbine engines made by fellow Oxfordshire firm Argive or a silent, electric fan engine made by London-based Greejets. His company has also secured contracts with the Ministry of Defence, which he says he cannot discuss. 'Traditionally, defence projects take years to develop, but the essence of Formula 1 is you've got to develop rapidly and move really quickly,' adds Gascoyne. 'You make a new car every year, and every two weeks, somewhere around the world, you're racing a different version of it, constantly updating to stay in the game and remain competitive. 'Now, the military has realised what they need as well.' Start-up struggles Still, while the success enjoyed by the likes of MGI and Kraken so far is promising, many executives say there is still a long way to go to make the defence industry more welcoming to start-ups. It is still common for smaller companies to struggle to obtain bank accounts owing to controversial environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing rules. Many businesses also struggle to stay afloat while they wait months and often years for the Ministry of Defence to award contracts. This limbo period has been dubbed the 'valley of death' by the industry. 'British industrial creativity is second to none,' says Labour's Fred Thomas, a former Royal Marines commando who is now MP for Plymouth Moor View and a member of the defence committee. 'We have the best engineers, designers and thinkers in the world. 'Applying these advantages to defence innovation is vital for our country's security. It's on the Government to incorporate these capabilities into the national arsenal.' Ministers have vowed to improve the situation by requiring officials to award contracts far more quickly. They have also established the new UK Defence Innovation organisation, which has been given a ring-fenced budget of £400m per year and a mandate to seek out innovation. With luck, it should mean that more companies like Kraken can contribute to Britain's defences. 'We've done this in a slightly unconventional way, but we're now being taken very seriously,' Crease adds. 'We're anticipating explosive growth.'
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Russia says 291 Ukrainian drones downed
MOSCOW, July 27 (Reuters) - Russian air defence units downed 291 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday. "Air defence systems downed two guided aircraft bombs, three projectiles of Czech-made Vampire multiple rocket launch systems and 291 fixed-wing drones," the ministry said on its Telegram channel. It added that Russian warplanes and drones struck drone production facilities and control centres within Ukraine.
