In The News

Samuel Bendett says that the LPD-802 “is a close-range weapon that has limited power,” for use “against quadcopters, and small and light [drones].”

Steven Wills said that unmanned boats, such as the ones the Ukrainians reportedly used last month in Sevastopol, are better able “to reach out and touch the Russians, even in their homeport.”

Michael Kofman says, “Russian forces seemed to withdraw from some parts, evacuated and drew down, but also reinforced with mobilized personnel.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Lancets may not have been employed in large numbers earlier because Russia's initial invasion plans and the opening weeks and months of the war did not anticipate massive Ukrainian resistance and therefore the MOD may not have placed enough orders for these to be manufactured in large numbers.”

Samuel Bendett says, “I think the biggest benefit of this design is that once key materials are available – a battery, a receiver, several small motors, propellers and wiring – such a drone can be essentially assembled ‘on the fly,’ pun intended.”

Ken Gause says, “the tension is "still ascending" much as it was before North Korea's sixth nuclear test on September 3, 2017.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Many Russian volunteers as well as some private-sector companies publicly voiced concern that their achievements and products aren’t directly used in the war and that the MOD [Ministry of Defense] bureaucracy is interfering with quick and fast acquisition of necessary services. So maybe this center is going to attract such talent.”

Samuel Bendett says, “There are significant obstacles to the ‘full separation’ that the Russian government wants to test.”

Ken Gause says, “The North Koreans have established routes there that they could maneuver,” noting that “the United States has a lot of surveillance over North Korea” making direct routes via Siberia less attractive.

Michael Kofman says, “It could be significant development because one of the challenges for Russia has been sustaining artillery fire.”

Samuel Bendett says that recent sea drone and unmanned aerial system swarm attacks have the potential to seize “the show going forward.”

Samuel Bendett says that it is "plausible" that Ukraine carried out the attack. "Such unmanned boats are difficult to identify, especially at night."

Samuel Bendett says, “There has been a real professionalization of commercial drones in both Ukrainian and Russian military forces.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Ukraine used nine unmanned air vehicles and seven unmanned surface vehicles to overwhelm Russian air defenses and conduct a strike deep inside the Sevastopol Black Sea Fleet port area.”

Sam Plapinger wrote, Why did the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine outperform Fatah in their joint conflict with the US-allied monarchy during the Black September conflict in Jordan?

Samuel Bendett says, Despite these well-publicized innovations in the weaponization of Q-UGVs, armed robot dogs are likely far from ready for prime time. “We have to remember that at this point, such development is purely experimental as such systems can prove very brittle in actual combat.”