In The News

Samuel Bendett unpicks the strategies and technologies behind drone warfare.

Samuel Bendett discusses Kyiv’s increasing use of long-range unmanned systems to strike strategic targets deep in Russia.

Samuel Bendett says, “At the very least, each platoon should probably have [a hand-held anti-drone device], based on what we’re seeing in Ukraine so far.”

Samuel Bendett says, "It is not yet clear how many of the UGVs will be manufactured and then delivered to Russia's armed forces." 

Samuel Bendett says, “I certainly won’t dispute the Ukrainian government officials talking about drone numbers.”

Samuel Bendett says, "It's all about flying them at frequencies that are not jammed by EW equipment." 

Samuel Bendett says, “Combat drones are probably of little use in a river crossing. What’s more important is to have ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] ones flying for constant overwatch, as well as a menagerie of counter-drone and electronic warfare systems to protect personnel and equipment.”

Samuel Bendett says, "Multiple Russian volunteer, state and affiliated manufacturing efforts have significantly ramped up FPV development and shipped large quantities to the front." 

Sam Bendett said, "Telegram as a media network where many Russians turn for the news will become even more important, both as a source of info about the war and about tech developments that interested Russians need to get access to information.”

Samuel Bendett says, “If this is actually the case, then we are witnessing the capability that the Russian military has announced a while back, including stating that these drones will take to Ukrainian battlefield.”

Samuel Bendett says that no drone can individually provide the same capability as an AWACS, "but a combination of different drones with varying ranges and altitudes can fill in some of the gaps left open by the loss of A-50."

Samuel Bendett says, “The volunteers … are still complaining that the country’s defense industrial sector is not fully involved in FPV drone manufacturing.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Given that anything that moves in the Ukraine combat will be observed, tracked and hit with a drone, many of these unmanned ground vehicle designs are very simple and inexpensive, DIY-ed at the front by units or delivered by volunteers.”

Samuel Bendett says, “One of the more remarkable developments two years into this conflict has been our assessment of and how much we were probably off in that assessment in Russia’s ability to take casualties.”

Samuel Bendett says, “This technology needs a lot of testing and evaluation, this technology needs a lot of iteration, [and] many times the technology isn’t ready.”

Samuel Bendett says, “We are at a point where we have achieved a certain parity between tactics, weapons, and systems. But this parity does not always hold for long.”