Forbes: Ukraine Has Become The Testing Ground For The Military Revolution Of The Century
2- 28.04.2026, 9:29
- 1,348
Drones have brought about the biggest revolution in a century.
The war in Ukraine demonstrates a radical change in the nature of warfare, where drones have become a key tool on the battlefield. Analysts estimate that it is now drones that cause up to 75% of all casualties, suggesting the largest military transformation since the advent of tanks, writes Forbes.
The latest developments only emphasize this trend: the Russian military is surrendering to Ukrainian drones without direct contact with soldiers, and Kiev's naval drones have already learned to launch interceptors to destroy aerial targets.
In particular, a unit of the 412th Nemesis Brigade intercepted a Shahed-type kamikaze drone for the first time in the history of modern warfare with a missile launched from a maritime drone.
Cheap weapons with devastating effects
One of the key changes has been the economics of warfare. A drone costing about a thousand dollars can destroy equipment worth millions. Mass production only amplifies this effect: Ukraine plans to produce up to 10 million drones a year, Russia more than 6 million.
This turns drones into "consumable material" like ammunition, and opens up access to precision weapons even for non-state groups.
The battlefield has become "transparent"
Drones provide constant surveillance, effectively eliminating the possibility of covert movement. Any position can be detected and attacked in real time.
In response, the role of electronic warfare, which has become the first line of defense against drones, is growing rapidly.
A new stage is autonomy: modern drones are increasingly capable of operating without direct human control. And the combination with artificial intelligence opens the way to the use of "swarms" - dozens or hundreds of drones that can be controlled by a single operator or carry out missions independently.
The US is trying to catch up
Despite the obvious changes, the US has long underestimated the role of drones. Only recently has the Pentagon launched large-scale procurement programs and plans to spend tens of billions of dollars on unmanned systems and countermeasures.
At the same time, U.S. production volumes are still far behind those of Ukraine and Russia.
Analysts note: drones are not just a new type of weapon, but a fundamental change in the way warfare is conducted. They make warfare cheaper, more massive and more autonomous.
"The drone era is not coming, it is already here. The race is on to determine whether America will adopt this technology fast enough to be a winner in this new era, rather than an ill-prepared player lagging behind," Forbes summarized.
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