Sens. Warner, Kaine say DoD needs to learn from successful Ukraine drone attacks
WASHINGTON (WAVY) — A successful attack over the weekend by Ukraine on Russian Air Force assets, planned for 18 months and using inexpensive drones, is an cautionary example for the U.S. military, say Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
Known as 'Operation Spiderweb', Ukraine coordinated swarms of drone attacks on five Russian bases, some of which were more than 3,000 miles from Ukraine's border.
Ukraine's drone attack on Russian warplanes was a serious blow to the Kremlin's strategic arsenal
It called to mind the time in late 2023 when mystery drones flew over Langley Air Force Base for nearly three weeks. To this day, defense officials still have no explanation.
Report: Mystery drones fly over Langley for 17 days, now DOD is looking to protect aircraft
'It was 18 nights in a row,' Kaine said in a Wednesday conference call with reporters. 'If it's night after night after night, you should be able to follow them and tell where they're coming from, so I'm not satisfied with the pace [of getting information].'
It proved that drones can penetrate sensitive air space.
'We didn't have appropriate protocols in place on how you can take those drones down,' Warner said. 'We have to increase our security [at Langley AFB].'
You can counteract a typical drone by jamming its navigation signal, but the Ukrainian drones had technology that could thwart countermeasures.
'They're on fiber-optic cable but it looks like somebody's got them on a fishing line,' Kaine said. 'You can get information to the drone that can't be jammed in traditional ways.'
The Ukrainian operation showed budget-conscious ingenuity.'We are still buying drones that cost $20,000, $30,000, $40,000,' Warner said. But the drones that destroyed Russian aircraft 'cost of a couple hundred dollars a piece. Our constant investment in a lot of these legacy platforms is just not smart.'
While the drones that flew over Langley in 2023 have never been fully explained, — The US Northern Command — is leading the investigation.
Verdict is still out for origin of unauthorized drones flown over military base in Hampton, Pentagon press secretary says
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