Latest news with #JamesPattonRogers
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Drone attacks are the new front in war. NATO is trying to catch up.
FILE -- A Ukrainian drone pilot in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine on April 24, 2025. Assaults in Russia and Ukraine have shown major military powers that they are unprepared for evolving forms of warfare, and need to adapt. (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times) Recent drone attacks in Ukraine and Russia have exposed Western nations' vulnerability to this new form of warfare. Ukraine's successful drone strikes on Russian air bases highlight NATO's need to assess its own defenses. Both countries are investing heavily in drone technology, revealing a shift in military strategy and preparedness for future conflicts. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The drones attacks that have filled the skies over Ukraine and Russia the past few weeks have not only cemented a new era of warfare, they have also shown Western countries how ill-prepared they are for Sunday, Ukraine launched more than 100 drones it had smuggled into Russia to strike air bases there, damaging or destroying as many as 20 strategic aircraft thousands of miles apart. That sent defense officials in some NATO nations rushing to assess whether they, too, could be vulnerable, if an adversary using drones could severely hobble a big military power -- be it Russia, China or even the United States."This is more than an isolated incident -- it's a glimpse into the character of future conflict, where war won't be confined to neatly drawn front lines," said James Patton Rogers, a drone warfare expert at Cornell University. He said the urgent question for NATO, after "an impressive attack by Ukraine," is to determine the vulnerabilities of its own air bases, bombers and critical the Ukrainian barrage, Russia had intensified a near-daily deluge of long-range drones to attack military and civilian targets across Ukraine, demonstrating an ability to launch thousands of uncrewed aircraft as quickly as they are built, experts said. By comparison, defense manufacturers in the United States and Europe have struggled for more than three years to ramp up weapons knows it has much to year, NATO opened a joint training center with Ukrainian forces in Poland to share lessons from Russia's invasion. Ukraine's military is the largest (aside from Russia's) and most battled-tested in Europe, even if it is struggling to maintain territory in its border the same time, much of the military alliance is still focused on warfare of the past, and unable to keep up with an unending stream of cyberattacks and other hybrid activity that threatens energy infrastructure, financial institutions and government databases lying far beyond traditional front protects its aircraft with more than 3,000 hardened shelters, while the United States has exposed tarmacs "and assumptions," Simone Ledeen, a top Pentagon policy official during President Donald Trump's first term, wrote on social media after Ukraine's broad drone attack."A well-timed swarm could blind us before we're airborne," Ledeen U.S. military reported 350 drone sightings across about 100 military installations last year, Gen. Gregory Guillot, the head of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, told lawmakers in February.A new government review of Britain's defense capabilities, released this week, made clear that other alliance members are also aware of their forced to fight in the next few years, the review said, Britain and its allies could find themselves battling adversaries with newer weapons and technology. It called for heavy investment in air and land drones, including stockpiling one-way attack drones -- those that kill by smashing into their targets and exploding."Whoever gets new technology into the hands of their armed forces the quickest will win," the review Russia and Ukraine have spent billions of dollars to build their respective drone fleets since the war years ago, Ukraine produced about 800,000 drones; this year it is projected to churn out more than 5 million, said Kateryna Bondar, a former adviser to Ukraine's government who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies research group in Washington. Among them are weapons known as " missile drones " because they can purportedly fly as far as 1,800 last weekend, before the surprise attack on Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine told allies he hoped to scale up his military's drone program with additional financial backing. "Our operations show the impact that investment can have, especially in drones," he agreed, pledging Wednesday to help Ukraine procure 100,000 drones this year -- 10 times more than initially which is projected to spend more than 7% of its gross domestic product on defense this year, has saturated Ukraine's skies and overwhelmed its air defenses with more than 1,000 drones each week since March, experts say. Most of them are Geran-series drones -- Russia's homegrown version of the Iranian-designed long-range Shahed attack aircraft -- some of which cost as little as $20,000 to far cheaper than, for example, a $1 million long-range Storm Shadow missile, the Geran drones are still likely costing Russia several millions of dollars each day."If they can launch hundreds of these a day, that means they have to manufacture hundreds of these a day as well," said Samuel Bendett, an expert on Russian drones and other weapons at the Center for Naval uptick has coincided with ceasefire talks Trump is pushing as Russia seeks to seize more territory in Ukraine before any settlement is also aims to remind the world of Russia's enduring might -- even if it still suffers setbacks like Ukraine's weekend strikes."No one, really, in Europe is prepared to adequately handle this type of threat," Bendett said.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Drone attacks are the new front in war. NATO is trying to catch up.
'This is more than an isolated incident — it's a glimpse into the character of future conflict, where war won't be confined to neatly drawn front lines,' said James Patton Rogers, a drone warfare expert at Cornell University. He said the urgent question for NATO, after 'an impressive attack by Ukraine,' is to determine the vulnerabilities of its own air bases, bombers, and critical infrastructure. Before the Ukrainian barrage, Russia had intensified a near-daily deluge of long-range drones to attack military and civilian targets across Ukraine, demonstrating an ability to launch thousands of uncrewed aircraft as quickly as they are built, experts said. By comparison, defense manufacturers in the United States and Europe have struggled for more than three years to ramp up weapons production. Advertisement NATO knows it has much to learn. This year, NATO opened a joint training center with Ukrainian forces in Poland to share lessons from Russia's invasion. Ukraine's military is the largest (aside from Russia's) and most battled-tested in Europe, even if it is struggling to maintain territory in its border region. Advertisement At the same time, much of the military alliance is still focused on warfare of the past and unable to keep up with an unending stream of cyberattacks and other hybrid activity that threatens energy infrastructure, financial institutions, and government databases lying far beyond traditional front lines. China protects its aircraft with more than 3,000 hardened shelters, while the United States has exposed tarmacs 'and assumptions,' Simone Ledeen, a top Pentagon policy official during President Trump's first term, wrote on social media after Ukraine's broad drone attack. 'A well-timed swarm could blind us before we're airborne,' Ledeen wrote. The US military reported 350 drone sightings across about 100 military installations last year, General Gregory Guillot, the head of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, told lawmakers in February. A new government review of Britain's defense capabilities, released this week, made clear that other alliance members are also aware of their vulnerabilities. If forced to fight in the next few years, the review said, Britain and its allies could find themselves battling adversaries with newer weapons and technology. It called for heavy investment in air and land drones, including stockpiling one-way attack drones — those that kill by smashing into their targets and exploding. 'Whoever gets new technology into the hands of their armed forces the quickest will win,' the review noted. Both Russia and Ukraine have spent billions of dollars to build their respective drone fleets since the war began. Two years ago, Ukraine produced about 800,000 drones; this year it is projected to churn out more than 5 million, said Kateryna Bondar, a former adviser to Ukraine's government who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies research group in Washington. Among them are weapons known as 'missile drones' because they can purportedly fly as far as 1,800 miles. Advertisement Just last weekend, before the surprise attack on Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told allies he hoped to scale up his military's drone program with additional financial backing. 'Our operations show the impact that investment can have, especially in drones,' he said. Britain agreed, pledging Wednesday to help Ukraine procure 100,000 drones this year — 10 times more than initially planned. Russia, which is projected to spend more than 7 percent of its gross domestic product on defense this year, has saturated Ukraine's skies and overwhelmed its air defenses with more than 1,000 drones each week since March, experts say. Most of them are Geran-series drones — Russia's homegrown version of the Iranian-designed long-range Shahed attack aircraft — some of which cost as little as $20,000 to build. While far cheaper than, for example, a $1 million long-range Storm Shadow missile, the Geran drones are still likely costing Russia several millions of dollars each day. 'If they can launch hundreds of these a day, that means they have to manufacture hundreds of these a day as well,' said Samuel Bendett, an expert on Russian drones and other weapons at the Center for Naval Analysis. The uptick has coincided with cease-fire talks Trump is pushing as Russia seeks to seize more territory in Ukraine before any settlement is reached. It also aims to remind the world of Russia's enduring might — even if it still suffers setbacks like Ukraine's weekend strikes. Advertisement 'No one, really, in Europe is prepared to adequately handle this type of threat,' Bendett said. This article originally appeared in
New York Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Drone Attacks Are the New Front in War. NATO Is Trying to Catch Up.
The drones attacks that have filled the skies over Ukraine and Russia the past few weeks have not only cemented a new era of warfare, they have also shown Western countries how ill-prepared they are for it. On Sunday, Ukraine launched hundreds of drones it had smuggled into Russia to strike air bases there, damaging or destroying as many as 20 strategic aircraft thousands of miles apart. That sent defense officials in some NATO nations rushing to assess whether they, too, could be vulnerable, if an adversary using drones could severely hobble a big military power — be it Russia, China or even the United States. 'This is more than an isolated incident — it's a glimpse into the character of future conflict, where war won't be confined to neatly drawn front lines,' said James Patton Rogers, a drone warfare expert at Cornell University. He said the urgent question for NATO, after 'an impressive attack by Ukraine,' is to determine the vulnerabilities of its own air bases, bombers and critical infrastructure. Before the Ukrainian barrage, Russia had intensified a near-daily deluge of long-range drones to attack military and civilian targets across Ukraine, demonstrating an ability to launch thousands of uncrewed aircraft as quickly as they are built, experts said. By comparison, defense manufacturers in the United States and Europe have struggled for more than three years to ramp up weapons production. NATO knows it has much to learn. Earlier this year, NATO opened a joint training center with Ukrainian forces in Poland to share lessons from Russia's invasion. Ukraine's military is the largest (aside from Russia's) and most battled-tested in Europe, even if it is struggling to maintain territory in its border region. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
5 ways Ukraine's audacious 'Spiderweb' drone attack marks a new threat for top militaries
Ukraine's latest attack on Russian airfields has written a new chapter for drone tactics. Operatives snuck the drones into Russia and remotely launched them near bases, Ukraine says. These tactics highlight vulnerabilities for the world's most advanced militaries. The new tactics deployed by Ukraine in striking a claimed 41 Russian warplanes have devastating implications — not only for Russia's air power but for all advanced militaries, defense experts told Business Insider. "This attack is a window to future war," James Patton Rogers, a drone expert and executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told BI. Ukraine has attacked Russia with drones many times before. But on Sunday, its Security Service, or SBU, targeted four Russian airfields simultaneously with a wildly creative gambit it dubbed "Operation Spiderweb." According to the SBU, operatives smuggled the military quadcopters into Russia, later packing them into wooden house-like structures. These were then mounted on trucks, which were driven close to the airfields, where the drones were launched, causing a claimed $7 billion in damage. The proximity and number of small attack drones appear to have given air defense crews little, if any, chance to respond. While details of the attack need to be independently confirmed, initial visual information suggests that this is "a stunning success for Ukraine's special services," said Justin Bronk, an influential air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute. Here's what it could mean for Russia and the Ukraine war — and the rest of the world. Ukraine's previous drone attacks have frequently been countered by Russia's advanced air defense systems, like its S-300 and S-400 missile launchers. But, it seems, these latest drones didn't need to run the S-400 gauntlet. Rather than flying larger, long-range drones through Russian airspace from Ukraine, the SBU said they trucked the containers out to the airfields, activating the smuggled drones after remotely retracting the roofs to release them. With a much-shortened and simplified journey to their target, the drones struck warplanes at the airfields of Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo, per the SBU. Lithuania's former foreign minister, Gabrelius Landsbergis, said on Monday that the attack shows Ukraine's ability to innovate and surprise the world. "Its scale and ingenuity — carried out without visible Western intelligence or logistical support — suggests Ukraine is now less reliant on outside help," he wrote. (Ukraine's Western backers, like the US, have resisted providing the weaponry and intelligence Ukraine has sought for retaliation against Russian bases, from which it launches regular attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and defensive lines.) Powered largely by domestically-produced armaments, Ukraine once again innovated "while the world talks, hosts meetings, and forms yet another 'coalition of the willing,'" Landsbergis wrote. "Ukraine is preparing to fight on its own terms," he added. "If you ever wondered what strategic autonomy looks like — this might be it." Ukraine showed that its fleet of $150 million bombers on a runway can be made prey to the kind of cheap drones modified slightly from racing and wedding photos. Prior to these coordinated strikes, Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia have reached as far as 1,100 miles from their shared border. That distance is dwarfed by the reach of Sunday's attack, where the farthest airfield, at Belaya in the eastern-central Irkutsk region, was more than 2,500 miles from Ukraine. Russia likely viewed bases far from Ukraine as being at less risk of attack. Bronk said that even if only half of the claimed 41 planes were damaged or destroyed, it would have a "significant impact" on Russia's ability to launch long-range cruise missile attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. Bronk estimates that Russia had around 60 active Tu-95 "Bear" bombers and around 20 Tu-160 "Blackjack" bombers involved in this aerial campaign, and said replacing damaged planes will be a huge challenge, as production on both models has either slowed or halted completely in recent decades. Videos and images from the attack show that the planes were parked in the open air, outside of any shelter. This may have made them an easy target. Satellite images have suggested that this is a point of some anxiety for Russia, which appears to have tried to pile tires onto the wings of its bombers to try to trick visual guidance systems. An aircraft on the ground is highly vulnerable to attack and is wholly dependent on airborne aircraft and nearby air defenses. Russia is not the only country with this issue. While China reportedly has enough hardened air shelters to house the majority of its combat aircraft, the US has invested far less in this capability. Ukraine didn't detail how it successfully smuggled the drones past Russian authorities. But the fact it did so "highlights the vulnerability of Russian transport and logistics system," Patton Rogers told BI. "The question for Russia must be, how many more are lying in wait?" he said. Meanwhile, Russia has shown itself quick to learn throughout the war, which could worry the West. The attack is a "stark reminder" of a new phase in war, Karl Rosander, CEO and cofounder of Swedish defence tech startup Nordic Air Defence, said in emailed comments. "One where drones can be covertly deployed and lie dormant behind enemy lines, waiting to strike." It's "only a matter of time" before the tactic is taken up by Russia and other hostile state actors, he added. The implications of this are wide-ranging. An air base needs a combination of armored shelters for aircraft, electronic jammers to disrupt drone guidance systems, and enough missiles or guns to shoot them down. All are costs measured in billions of dollars — and Ukraine has just devised a new threat costing in the mere thousands. Patton Rogers questioned how vulnerable NATO air bases are to such attacks, while pointing out how the tactic could be adopted elsewhere. "Drones won't be confined to a set battlefield," he told BI. While long-range drones will continue to strike, weaponized short-range drones will be "hidden and waiting for launch" to attack deep inside adversary territory, he said. "The question is, are NATO allies ready for this new reality?" Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
5 ways Ukraine's audacious 'Spiderweb' drone attack marks a new threat for top militaries
The new tactics deployed by Ukraine in striking a claimed 41 Russian warplanes have devastating implications — not only for Russia's air power but for all advanced militaries, defense experts told Business Insider. "This attack is a window to future war," James Patton Rogers, a drone expert and executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told BI. Ukraine has attacked Russia with drones many times before. But on Sunday, its Security Service, or SBU, targeted four Russian airfields simultaneously with a wildly creative gambit it dubbed "Operation Spiderweb." According to the SBU, operatives smuggled the military quadcopters into Russia, later packing them into wooden house-like structures. These were then mounted on trucks, which were driven close to the airfields, where the drones were launched, causing a claimed $7 billion in damage. The proximity and number of small attack drones appear to have given air defense crews little, if any, chance to respond. While details of the attack need to be independently confirmed, initial visual information suggests that this is "a stunning success for Ukraine's special services," said Justin Bronk, an influential air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute. Here's what it could mean for Russia and the Ukraine war — and the rest of the world. Limiting conventional air defences Ukraine's previous drone attacks have frequently been countered by Russia's advanced air defense systems, like its S-300 and S-400 missile launchers. But, it seems, these latest drones didn't need to run the S-400 gauntlet. Rather than flying larger, long-range drones through Russian airspace from Ukraine, the SBU said they trucked the containers out to the airfields, activating the smuggled drones after remotely retracting the roofs to release them. With a much-shortened and simplified journey to their target, the drones struck warplanes at the airfields of Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo, per the SBU. A powerful statement of Ukraine going it alone Lithuania's former foreign minister, Gabrelius Landsbergis, said on Monday that the attack shows Ukraine's ability to innovate and surprise the world. "Its scale and ingenuity — carried out without visible Western intelligence or logistical support — suggests Ukraine is now less reliant on outside help," he wrote. (Ukraine's Western backers, like the US, have resisted providing the weaponry and intelligence Ukraine has sought for retaliation against Russian bases, from which it launches regular attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and defensive lines.) Powered largely by domestically-produced armaments, Ukraine once again innovated "while the world talks, hosts meetings, and forms yet another 'coalition of the willing,'" Landsbergis wrote. "Ukraine is preparing to fight on its own terms," he added. "If you ever wondered what strategic autonomy looks like — this might be it." Ukraine showed that its fleet of $150 million bombers on a runway can be made prey to the kind of cheap drones modified slightly from racing and wedding photos. It enables Ukraine to hit deeper into Russia Prior to these coordinated strikes, Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia have reached as far as 1,100 miles from their shared border. That distance is dwarfed by the reach of Sunday's attack, where the farthest airfield, at Belaya in the eastern-central Irkutsk region, was more than 2,500 miles from Ukraine. Russia likely viewed bases far from Ukraine as being at less risk of attack. Bronk said that even if only half of the claimed 41 planes were damaged or destroyed, it would have a "significant impact" on Russia's ability to launch long-range cruise missile attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. Bronk estimates that Russia had around 60 active Tu-95 "Bear" bombers and around 20 Tu-160 "Blackjack" bombers involved in this aerial campaign, and said replacing damaged planes will be a huge challenge, as production on both models has either slowed or halted completely in recent decades. No hard shelter for planes Videos and images from the attack show that the planes were parked in the open air, outside of any shelter. This may have made them an easy target. Satellite images have suggested that this is a point of some anxiety for Russia, which appears to have tried to pile tires onto the wings of its bombers to try to trick visual guidance systems. An aircraft on the ground is highly vulnerable to attack and is wholly dependent on airborne aircraft and nearby air defenses. Russia is not the only country with this issue. While China reportedly has enough hardened air shelters to house the majority of its combat aircraft, the US has invested far less in this capability. 'Sleeper' drones Ukraine didn't detail how it successfully smuggled the drones past Russian authorities. But the fact it did so "highlights the vulnerability of Russian transport and logistics system," Patton Rogers told BI. "The question for Russia must be, how many more are lying in wait?" he said. Meanwhile, Russia has shown itself quick to learn throughout the war, which could worry the West. The attack is a "stark reminder" of a new phase in war, Karl Rosander, CEO and cofounder of Swedish defence tech startup Nordic Air Defence, said in emailed comments. "One where drones can be covertly deployed and lie dormant behind enemy lines, waiting to strike." It's "only a matter of time" before the tactic is taken up by Russia and other hostile state actors, he added. The implications of this are wide-ranging. An air base needs a combination of armored shelters for aircraft, electronic jammers to disrupt drone guidance systems, and enough missiles or guns to shoot them down. All are costs measured in billions of dollars — and Ukraine has just devised a new threat costing in the mere thousands. Patton Rogers questioned how vulnerable NATO air bases are to such attacks, while pointing out how the tactic could be adopted elsewhere. "Drones won't be confined to a set battlefield," he told BI. While long-range drones will continue to strike, weaponized short-range drones will be "hidden and waiting for launch" to attack deep inside adversary territory, he said. "The question is, are NATO allies ready for this new reality?"
